Declare Cyclone Ockhi a national calamity: Kerala CM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As Kerala reels under heavy downpour caused due to Cyclone Ockhi, the state government on Saturday has decided to ask the Centre to declare the cyclone as a national calamity.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the chief secretary has been entrusted to prepare the memorandum in this regard.

Kerala govt has decided to ask the Union government to declare #OckhiCyclone a national calamity. The Chief Secretary has been entrusted to prepare the memorandum in this regard: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan pic.twitter.com/pyCrT3dkva — ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2017

Cyclone Ockhi had on Friday intensified into a severe storm and was rapidly moving towards the Arabian Sea, leaving a trail of destruction on its path.

The death toll rose to 12 on Saturday even as the search and rescue operations in the sea continued with the help of the navy and the Coast Guard.

Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts in Tamil Nadu and Calicut district in Kerala were the worst hit where hundreds of people have been affected.

Over 60 fishing vessels from Tamil Nadu and Kerala were asked to dock at a port in Maharashtra on Saturday as the menacing Ockhi made their return journey unsafe.

A total of 68 vessels, of which two from Tamil Nadu and 66 from Kerala, with nearly a 100 fishermen onboard, were asked to dock at Devagad port in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district as the storm gathered strength.

Seventy-one fishermen have already been rescued and brought to the port, while 97 others are still at sea, the ANI reported. 

The coastguards are currently searching for the stranded vessels in the sea.

The Maharashtra government is providing shelter, food and other relief materials to the stranded fishermen who have already arrived at the port.

The state govt swung into action after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman sought help from Chief Minister Devender Fadnavis in the matter.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured all help to the affected people in the states. He also reportedly called Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami to assure him all assistance from the Centre to deal with the crisis.