Cyclone Ockhi: Latin Catholic Church questions official figures

Thiruvananthapuram: The Latin Catholic Church has questioned the state government's figures of the missing persons from the fishing hamlets of the state after the cyclone. While the government puts the figure at 92, the church that wields much influence among the fishing community says over 200 and have prepared a list of names collected from its parishes. "Why is the government not ready to collect details from the church and cross-check," vicar-general of the Thiruvananthapuram Archdiocese Fr Eugene H. Pereira asked.

He said more than 106 fishermen who had ventured into the sea in small boats had gone missing from the district.  Apart from that, 140 fishermen went in big vessels are also yet to return. Many parishioners have gone into the sea from Thuthur in Kanyakumari and Neendakara in Kollam. Fishers from eight villages in Kanyakumari are holding a road and rail roko agitation at the Kulithurai railway station, with over 14,000 villagers refusing to leave the tracks and the road, till the government promises to fulfil their demands on the missing men. "We have also decided to join them," Fr Pereira told DC.