Karaikal (Union Territory), January 5
The number of children dead in one cluster of fishermen’s villages located along this coastline hit by the tsunami is highest in entire south India and their parents some of whom could survive are shattered.

These villages fall in Karaikal, which is within the Union Territory of Pondicherry, but 133 kms away from the state capital and close to Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu.

When Kallyaperumal, a fisherman, who was away from his village on the black Sunday, took this correspondent around the scene of destruction, almost all villages were deserted.

Only some workers could be seen clearing the massive amount of debris as excepting a few all houses, huts and concrete, were smashed when the tsunami hit precisely at 9.05 am.

More than 50 per cent of the dead were children and all were buried in a mass graves along with the adults. The official death toll here is only 471 but the actual figure is much higher as hundreds more are still missing.

The villages are located only 150 km from the sea and when the tsunami waves came with full force the boundary wall which the fishermen had constructed just gave way and the saline water wreaked havoc as it made its way one kilometre inside shore.

The small beach at Pattinacherry village is still strewn with at least 500 engines of mechanised boats and catamarans which were split due to the force of the waves.

At least 3000 mechanised boats and catamarans, 500 fishing nets and more than 7000 houses were damaged by the tsunami which displaced more than 25,000 persons within its few minutes of fury.

Said Kallyaperumal’, Within 15 minutes everything was over. Most women and children were inside homes and were drowned. Some who were outside were swept away and their bodies were smashed as they were hit by the concrete and poles which came with the waves.

There were some houses where the unnatural happened. The buildings are still there but the floors were sucked in and they looked like wells in which the inhabitants perished.

The fishermen community here was quite affluent as is evident from the clothes and belongings lying all over the village. One could even see smashed television sets and expensive furniture.

It will take months to repair the damage and for us to venture out to the sea, said Kallyaperumal. The estimated damage in Karikal alone is Rs 256 crore and a majority of the affected are fishermen.

The Tamil Nadu Government has sought Rs 1054 crore for rehabilitation of fishermen and restoration of their livelihood.