Ockhi: Fishermen march to Raj Bhavan, toll rises to 42

Thiruvananthapuram: Thousands of fishermen on Monday took out a march to the Raj Bhavan here demanding a coordinated search operation to trace missing fishermen and a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Ockhi-hit areas even as the toll in the cyclone rose to 42.

The fishermen from coastal villages in the district under the aegis of the Latin Catholic church also demanded that the Centre declare the calamity as a national disaster.

The protesters waving black flags and photos of the dead and missing fishermen walked about two kms from Palayam to Raj Bhavan raising slogans, bringing the traffic to a standstill on the busy stretch.

Addressing the gathering, Latin Catholic church head Archbishop Soosai Pakiyam, who led the march, said it was a matter of grave concern that still the authorities "are unable to come out with the exact number of fishermen missing in the cyclone." He wanted a coordinated effort by fisheries department, marine enforcement and coast guard to trace the missing men, who had put out to sea on Nov 29-30 when the cyclone struck the state.