Kochi, Dec 2 (PTI) The Indian Navy and the Coast Guardcontinued search for missing fishermen using ships, dornieraircraft and helicopters in the "rough sea" off Kerala andLakshadweep in the wake of Cyclone Ockhi.
While INS Nireekshak, INS Jamuna and INS Sagardhwani arecontinuing search and rescue operations in their designatedareas along the coast off Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram andKollam, two ships INS Shardul and INS Sharda are headingtowards Lakshadweep, a defence spokesman said.
The naval ships, which left from the Southern NavalCommand here yesterday, are likely to reach Lakshadweep thisevening.
The spokesman said about eight boats from Kerala with 36people on board are reported to be adrift at sea off Kalpeniisland.
"The sea is very rough.. Naval ships moved as soon as wereceived intimation," he said.
Fifteen fishermen rescued by the Coast Guard are beingbrought to the Thiruvananthapuram coast, the official said.
Four fishermen were rescued by a Navy chopper thismorning, 20 miles off Kochi.
They were taken to a naval clinic here for medicalexamination.
INS Nireekshak rescued two fishermen off Alappuzha coast.
INS Sagardhwani fished out one cadaver, 30 km offThiruvananthapuram coast.
The ship had earlier found another cadaver.
The body has been handed over to the civiladministration, he said.
Indian Coast Guard ship Samar rescued a fishing boat withfive crew members on board, the spokesman said.
He said one of the crew in an advanced light helicopter(ALH) was wounded while assisting fishermen trapped in the seaoff Kerala coast.
The crew member, V K Verma, suffered hand injury causedby the winch wire.
He, however, continued "heroically" to help the fishermento be rescued, before himself being winched up, the spokesmansaid.
Verma has been admitted to a hospital inThiruvananthapuram.
The 'very severe' cyclonic storm Ockhi -- which inBengali means 'eye' -- is likely to continue to move west-northwestwards across Lakshadweep islands during the next 24hours and then recurve northeastwards during the subsequent 48hours, a Met department bulletin said. PTI TGB ROHSMN.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.