The Beginning of the End:
( Dhanushkodi Super Cyclonic Storm: (1964): )
“ I was about six years old when my father embarked on
the project of building a wooden sailboat to take pilgrims from
Rameshwaram to Dhanushkodi, (also called Sethukkarai), and back. He
worked at building the boat on the seashore, with the help of a relative,
Ahmed Jallaluddin, who later married my sister, Zohara.
I watched the boat take shape. The wooden hull and the
bulkheads were seasoned with the heat from wood fires. My father was
doing good business with the boat when, one day, a cyclone bringing winds
of over 100 miles per hour carried away our boat, along with some of the
landmass of Sethukkarai.
The Pamban Bridge collapsed with the train full of
passengers on it. Until then, I had only seen the beauty of the
sea, now its uncontrollable energy came as a revelation to me.”
-A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, in “Wings
of Fire – An Autobiography”
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| Map of Rameshwaram island (1964) |
Dhanushkodi : Night of 1964 December 22:
It was raining heavily... Nobody in the Dhanushkodi city
realized that as a signal of Storm. On December 21, satellite images showed
clouds from the storm covered 965 Km on the sky.
The Storm got intense and moves towards the Gulf of
mannar region.Fishermen of Dhanushkodi were warned by government not to fish
inside the sea,
People of Dhanushkodi town heard of such storm cautions
often, hence they dont care about this storm too. they believed that
things were turned normal within few days.
All the places of Dhanushkodi were filled with
Darkness...
The heavy rain slowed down and , the clouds started
drizzled the drops. People believed that the things would get normal the next
day, and went for sleep with the hope filled minds.
*************
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| Pamban-Dhanushkodi Passanger |
The clock at the Pamban railway station showed 23:55, "passenger's
attention please ! Train number 653, Pamban -Dhanushkodi Passenger train is
ready to go" Yelled the speakers in the Pamban Railway station.
The last passenger train for the dhanushkodi town started
its journey towards dhanuskodi with its seven carriages , 110 passengers and 5
Railway employees .
At the mean time The storm hits the northern regions of
ceylone ( Vaunia of Sri lanka) with the wind velocity of 280 Km/Hr and moves towards the dhanushkodi.
The train moves on....
After few minutes the train driver noticed that all the
signals were failed !, he stopped the train for a while and check why the
signals not functioning.. he may assumed that due to the heavy rain and
wind the signals were failed. He again started the train..
He beeps the horn continuously and drove the train on the
tracks , near the shores of Dhanushkodi.
After few minutes...
The train was nearing the Dhanushkodi Railway
station,
By that time , the Storm reaches the Dhanushkodi , (it's
referred as Super cyclonic storm) with the velocity of 270 Km/hour . It
shatters the Dhanushkodi town with its ferocious breath . By the way it
pulls the entire passanger train which is about to reach the station into
the sea with the hands of the gigantic tides and drowned it into the sea.
Thousands of people drowned into the sea, pilgrims,
travelers, native Fishermen all were washed away by the storm. (Based on the
records Dhanushkodi was populated with 25,000 people by the year 1964).
At Dhanushkodi winds of Hurricane forces lasts raging for
a period of six hours from the midnight of 22 to the early morning of 23
December. Many of the people left their lives while sleep!.
The death toll was estimated about 500, and the losses
were about 8 crore INR.
There were Four radio operators
remained in the Dhanuskodi and risked their lives to continue
broadcasting during the storm. They were ultimately caught up in the storm
surge but survived by clinging to the Pamban Bridge for 12 hours. (The government later honored and rewarded them for their dedication.).
Voice of the Rescued :
The following is an extract of the report on the cyclone
which passed over Dhanushkodi by Mr.S.Subhiah, incharge , operator ,
H.C. & I., Dhanushkodi police Radio Station:
"On 22.12.64 , There was a strong wind blowing at
about 1800 hrs onwards from northeast side. The sky was clear. There was no
rain and there was no hint of any stormor cyclone which would hit Dhanushkodi
in the night....
From 10 PM. onwards, the velocity of the wind increased
gradually and still there was no rain. At 11 PM., there was a high whistling
sound with hissing and rain began to pour down.Due to the pressure of the wind
which had by this time approached to cyclonic proportions , Waves were bigger
and higher and at about 12' o clock midnight the fourth house to mine collapsed
due to water and wind... soon several huts began to collapse and people were
running for shelter at the railway station and railway carriages . By this time
the cyclone was increasing in its tempo and waves were rising to a
height of 40 to 50 feet and breaking on the land. Though it was dark, the white
foam on the top of the high waves could be seen and that was how the height of
the waves could be judged.
At this time rain was falling like a sheet of water and
the wind was blowing at the cyclonic speed Huts were collapsing and people were
running helter and skelter to save themselves. There was no time to rescue
their belongings as the water was rising high and practically everything was
washed away. There are three pucca buildings at dhanushkodi , one with terraced
roof and two with asbestos roofs. Due to cyclone roofs of asbestos roofed
building were blown away....
The wind, rain and the tidal waves continued unbated till
about 6.A.M. At this time wind and rain decreased a little.
About 6.30 A.M. both the wind and the rain stopped
completely within a very short time , cyclone wind began to blow from southwest
with the same intensity but without rain. Except for few collapsed huts near
the railway station all other huts were washed away... By about 11. A.M. of
23rd, I could contact madras and inform the fate which had befallen
Dhanushkodi.".
There is a proverb which says , "After a storm comes calm " But after the storm the cries and Yells occupied the entire Dhanushkodi !!
(To be continued...... on the next post )
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