‘OP Sahayam’ of
Southern Naval Command persisted for the tenth day on 09 Dec 17 over Southeast
Arabian Sea and L& M islands. Ten ships and all aircraft have continued the
search and rescue (SAR) operations with same zeal to bring succour to fishing
community and sea farers. In the past 72 hours, search area was increased up to
the coast of Maldives. However, no stranded boats, fishermen or floating bodies
have been found in this duration.
INS
Kalpeni returned to Kochi after completing 96 hours of assisted search by six
local fishermen it embarked on 06 Dec 17. The ship carried out an exhaustive
search in areas extending up to 150 miles Northwest of L& M Islands to the
coast of Calicut and therafter Kochi. The search effort did not find any
distressed fishing vessels or floating bodies. It was observed that normal
fishing activity has resumed in substantial strength especially between Kochi
to Calicut.
INS
Kabra, INS Sagardhwani and maritime reconnaissance aircraft P8I were deployed
off the coast of Allepey and south of Thiruvananthapuram, based on inputs
received from Kerala State administration of floating bodies in the area.
INS
Sujata equipped with Portable Mobile Morgue boxes, sailed out from Kochi on 09
Dec 17, for enabling it to bring bodies if found during the search operations.
Thiruvananthapuram Sub collector Divya S. Iyer along with four local fishermen
would be embarking the ship at sunrise on 10 Dec 17 off Vizhinjam port for
joining the deep sea search operations, while Indian Coast Guard Ship Abhinav
which arrived off Vizhinjam in the evening on 09 Dec 17 embarked 10 fishermen
from pozhiyoor for co-ordinated search. The search is expected to continue up
to 72 hours. A Total of three lakh twenty five thousand square miles
have been searched and sanitised by Indian Naval assets for providing SAR
since the calamity ‘Ockhi’ struck the L & M islands and Southeast Arabian
Sea.
INS
Jamuna continued replenishment of fresh water in excess of 14000 Litres today
at Kavaratti. The Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) materials
and Medicines carried by INS Sharda were distributed in the Minicoy islands.
Life is slowly becoming normal at the L& M Islands with the schools
reopening. No further help other than the provisioning of daily fresh water at
Kavaratti Island is being sought by the civil administration from the Navy.
*****
Koc/116/Dec 17
