PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today visited five fishermen, who were undergoing treatment at a government hospital here after being rescued off Lakshadweep coast following Ockhi cyclone.
The fishermen from Narambai coastal village near here were caught in the cyclone near the coast of Lakshadweep recently.
Later, they were rescued with the help of the administration of Lakshadweep and were admitted to Indira Gandhi government hospital following complaints of gastroenteritis and damage to soft tissue.
Emerging from the hospital, the Chief Minister told reporters that as soon as his government received information that fishermen from Puducherry were caught in a perilous situation after the cyclone, he got in touch with the Lakshadweep government and sought their assistance to rescue the fishers.
The five were brought back safely to Kerala, from where they returned to Puducherry on Friday last.
"They have shown improvement and were given close attention," Narayanasamy said.
He was accompanied by Minister for Fisheries Malladi Krishna Rao and Welfare Minister M Kandasamy during the visit.
Th Chief Minister further thanked the governments of Lakshadweep and Kerala for responding to the call for help.
Two groups of fishermen from the Union Territory, who were stranded during the cyclone off the coast of Gujarat and Karnataka were also rescued by respective governments, he informed.
All 28 fishermen are now on their way back to Puducherry in, he added.
Narayanasamy assured that the territorial government would extend relief to the cyclone-hit fishermen and a decision on the quantum of relief would be taken at a meeting of the Committee for Disaster Relief Fund scheduled to meet tomorrow.