Storm forces Indian fishermen to land in Northern coast

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 November 2005, 11:14 GMT]
Three South Indian fishermen from Nagappattinam lost their bearing during the prevailing stormy weather in seas off Point Pedro in northern coast of Jaffna and landed in Inparuddy in Vadamaradchy North coast Monday morning, sources in Jaffna said.

Local fishermen brought Idumpan Thottayutham (45), Muthaiah Palanivel (35), and Muthaiyan Muthuchamy (40). to safety to the shores of Inparuddy and Vadamaradchy Fisheries Union officials are attending to the fishermen's immediate needs, sources said.

Despite calls from Point Pedro police to handover the three fishermen, the Vadamaradchy Fisheries Union said South Indians, fearing jail time, have expressed desire to find their own way back to Nagapattinam.

Meanwhile, torrential rains in the peninsula for the past two days have inundated low lying areas and have caused severe hardship to refugees living in temporary shelters, after being displaced by war and tsunami.