Tag Archives: ockhi cyclone

OCKHI Search for Missing Fishermen Enters 11th Day

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‘OP Sahayam’ of Southern Naval Command persisted for the eleventh day on 10th December, 2017 over Southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands with 10 ships and all aircraft into the search and rescue (SAR) operations to find scores of fishermen still missing.

Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft P8I searched over entire Maldives. Fishing community had estimated few vessels to be stranded in the islands of Maldives. Expeditious clearance was obtained through diplomatic channels to fly over Maldives and calls were given on Very high frequency (VHF) Radio. Officials have also confirmed that Maldivian local undertook search and have not located any fishermen on the islands.

INS Sujata equipped with mobile morgue boxes, embarked four fishermen and deputy Tehsildar Mr Mohan Raj on 10 Dec 17 at Vizhinjam port for joining the deep sea search operations. The search is expected to continue up to the satisfaction of the fishermen.

INS Subhadra, another naval vessel under routine deployment, identified twelve crew onboard two Tamil Nadu registered fishing vessels Milkyas & Felaxia about 90 miles Northwest of Bitra island of Lakshdweep group of Islands. The fishermen requested assistance for drinking water and 1500L was transferred to them. The ship, in its further search encountered two capsized fishing vessels, Annei and AVM EP Turai and investigation revealed no survivors onboard. This has been intimated to the State Governments.

The Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant which provides fresh water to the islands is yet to be made functional and hence Indian Navy continued with replenishment of fresh water in excess of 70000 Ltrs to Kavaratti

Over Four lakh square miles have been searched/ sanitised by Indian Naval assets for providing SAR since the calamity ‘Ockhi’ struck the L & M islands and Southeast Arabian Sea.

OCKHI Cyclone Update: Indian Navy’s Launches Huge Search and Rescue Operations 

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Indian Navy’s search and rescue operations continued for the third day over Southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands in the aftermath of Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘OCKHI’.

The ships deployed by the Southern Naval Command include IN Ships Sagardhwani, Jamuna, Nireekshak, Kabra and Kalpeni off the Kerala coast and Sharda , Shardul towards Lakshadweep islands. Besides this three air craft viz, Dornier (Do) fixed wing aircraft, Seaking Helicopter (SK) and Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) were also deployed throughout the day.

A total of 84 personnel have been rescued over the last two days which includes 62 by aircrafts and 22 by ships. Additionally, transfer of two dead bodies was also effected through ALH to Thiruvananthapuram after being picked up by INS Sagardhwani.

Of the 62 people rescued by naval aircraft 8 personnel were transferred to Kochi in batches of 04 after being picked up 20 Nautical miles southwest and 80 nautical miles west of Kochi respectively. Those evacuated to Kochi were given preliminary first aid at naval clinic at INS Garuda before being handed over to the civil administration. The rest of the rescued persons have been transferred to Thiruvananthapuram.

INS Shardul from Kochi is heading towards Minicoy islands with Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) “bricks”, which includes water, dry provisions, medical equipment, blankets, diving team, generators, salvage equipment, desalination and decontamination kits, diving team and has a Chetak helicopter embarked.

The relief material would sustain 2,000 persons for over a period of seven days. INS Sharda is heading towards Kavaratti islands with HADR material sufficient to last for more than seven days for 500 people. The ship while proceeding to the islands, saved nine lives from a capsized boat in distress enroute.

Naval ships fom Mumbai, INS Chennai, Kolkata and Trikand have also sailed out from Mumbai for Lakshadweep and Minicoy (LAM) islands with HADR material sufficient for approximately 5000 persons and would last for more than seven days. Androth and Kavaratti are reported to be experiencing strong winds of 40-60 knots coupled high swells of 3-4 metres with a sea state of 5-6. All the ships are expected to reach LAM by morning tomorrow

In addition to the aircraft from Kochi, the P8I aircraft from Arakkonam with greater reach is being used to maintaining a close vigil continuously over the sailing ships and provide inputs if any. The areas close to coast would continuously monitored using DO aircraft from Kochi.

Ockhi now ‘Very Severe Cyclonic Storm’; Lakshadweep, Minicoy Islands hit, Mumbai Next

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Upgraded as the very severe cyclonic storm, Ockhi  moved to Lakshadweep area and adjoining Southeast Arabian Sea further west-northwestwards with a speed of 10 kmph for the past six hours over Lakshadweep area and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea near Latitude 9.8º N and Longitude 71.0º E, about 280 km northwest of Minicoy and 240 km southwest of Amini Divi.

The system is very likely to weaken gradually from tonight. It is very likely to continue to move northwestwards during next 24 hours and then recurve northeastwards during the subsequent 48 hours, said a statement by the Met department. Mumbai will witness heavy rainfalls on December 5. Here is the detailed path:

Date/Time(IST) Position(Lat. 0N/ long. 0E) Maximum sustained surface wind speed (kmph) Category of cyclonic disturbance
    02/1130 9.8/71.0 140-150 GUSTING TO 165 VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM
      02/1730 10.4/70.3 140-150 GUSTING TO 160 VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM
      02/2330 11.1/69.8 135-145 GUSTING TO 160 VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM
            03/0530          11.7/69.4 130-140 GUSTING TO 155 VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM
03/1130 12.5/69.0 125-135 GUSTING TO 150 VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM
03/2330 13.7/68.8 120-130 GUSTING TO 145 VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM
04/1130 15.3/69.3 100-110 GUSTING TO 120 SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM
04/2330 16.9/70.1 80-90 GUSTING TO 100 CYCLONIC STORM
05/1130 18.3/70.9 60-70 GUSTING TO 80 CYCLONIC STORM
05/2330 20.6/72.1 50-60 GUSTING TO 70 DEEPDEPRESSION
06/1130 21.9/72.9 35-45 GUSTING TO 55 DEPRESSION

The Met Department has also issued a warning of heavy rainfall and rainfall in areas as below: 

Warning:

 

(i)           Heavy Rainfall warning:

  • Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy falls (>20 cm) very likely over north Lakshadweep Islands during next 24 hours and isolated heavy to very heavy falls during subsequent 24 hours. Isolated heavy to very rainfall is very likely over south Lakshadweep Islands during next 24 hours.
  • Rainfall at many places with heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over Kerala during next 24 hours.

(ii)       Wind warning:

  • Gale winds speed reaching 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph very likely over & around north Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours and gradual decrease thereafter and becoming 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph by tomorrow, the 3rd December morning. Gale winds speed reaching 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph very likely over and around south Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours and gradual decrease thereafter becoming 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph by tomorrow, the 3rd December morning.
  • Squally wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph very likely along & off Kerala coast during next 24 hours and along & off Karnataka coasts during next 48 hours.

(ii)          Sea condition:

  • Sea conditions would be phenomenal over and around north Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours and gradually becoming high by tomorrow, the 3rd December morning. It is very likely to be high to very high over and around south Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours and gradually becoming rough to very rough by tomorrow, the 3rd December morning.
  • Sea conditions would be rough to very rough along & off Kerala coast during next 24 hours and along & off Karnataka coast during next 48 hours.

(iii)         Storm surge:

Storm surge of about 1 meter above astronomical tides very likely to inundate low lying areas of north Lakshadweep Islands during next 24 hrs and storm surge of about 0.5 metre above astronomical tides very likely to inundate low lying areas of south Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hrs.

(iv)         Damage Expected over North Lakshadweep Islands during next 24 hours: Damage to power and communication lines due to breaking of tree branches and uprooting of large avenue trees. Major damage to thatched houses/huts: Major damage to kutcha houses, some damage to pucca roads and flooding of escape routes. Damage to banana & Papaya trees and standing crops.

Damage Expected over South Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours: Minor damage to power and communication lines due to breaking of tree branches. Major damage to thatched houses/huts.  Major damage to kutcha houses, minor damage to pucca roads. Some damage to banana & Papaya trees, orchards and standing crops.

(v)          Action suggested

  • Lakshadweep Islands: Fishermen around Lakshadweep Islands are advised not to venture into the sea during next 48 hours.
  • Kerala & Karnataka coast: Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea along & off Kerala coast during next 24 hrs and along and off Karnataka coast during next 48 hrs.