Early in the morning on 26th December 2004, fishermen went into the sea for their routine from a shore near Nagapatinnam. While coming back to the shore with their catch they saw a high tide moving ahead of them. Still they did not have any idea of what was in store at the shore when they reach back. In a few hours’ time when they reached the shore, their village had just disappeared, all their people had vanished, and as they frantically ran to the shore they realized that life had changed for ever.

The death toll at this village is yet to be estimated. Bodies are still being found, decayed over time. A community has disappeared, with their homes, boats, nets, children, their past, their dreams…

At Arcaduthurai, a fishing village near Vedaranyam, located close to the Palk Strait, the survivors had been shifted to four relief camps in Vedaranyam. Twenty four deaths have been reported from there.

Twenty six deaths have been reported from Vellaipalam, a small village inhabited by 400 families with 2050 people.

People from a village of 250 families are now in a relief camp at Vanavanmahadevi School. Seventeen people died in that village.

Twenty-one people died in Vizhuthamavadi, a village that was home to 170 families.

With a little help from good samaritans who are working hard to help them cope with the huge disaster. A NGO coordination centre was opened immediately to help the unfortunates.

One of these people, Col. P.D.sharma of the disaster management NGO, UDMRD rushed to Nagapatinnam with his team of volunteers to assess the damages and help the helpless with whatever he could.

His report on the disaster, the conditions and about the whole episode is well documented at the centre. You can read the complete heart-wrenching report here..