A team of scuba divers has held an underwater prayer meet in India to pay homage to fishermen killed by Cyclone Ockhi.

Twelve divers – 10 of them drawn from the affected fishing community – dived to a depth of eight metres near Kovalam in South India and prayed for 22 minutes.

The multi-religious team read prayers according to their individual faiths from laminated sheets of paper. They prayed for those who died and those who are still missing at sea.

Severe tropical cyclonic storm Ockhi which struck parts of South India in November killed 65 fishermen, according to official estimates.

Scores of fishermen, who went missing in sea, are yet to be traced.

The under water prayer meet was organised by Friends of Marine Life (FML), a local NGO, and Bond Ocean Safari, an underwater adventure sports group.

A team of scuba divers held an underwater prayer meet to pay homage to fishermen killed by Cyclone Ockhi.

Twelve divers – 10 of them drawn from the affected fishing community – dived to a depth of eight metres near Kovalam in South India and prayed for 22 minutes.
The multi-religious team read prayers according to their individual faiths from laminated sheets of paper. They prayed for those who died and those who are still missing at sea.
Severe tropical cyclonic storm Ockhi which struck parts of South India later November killed 65 fishermen, according to official estimates. Scores of fishermen, who went missing in sea, are yet to be traced.
The under water prayer meet was organised by Friends of Marine Life (FML), a local NGO, and Bond Ocean Safari, an underwater adventure sports group.
FML coordinator Robert Panipilla said the prayer meet was held to comfort the grieving families. “We also prayed for the Almighty to make the officials respond better during future emergencies,” he added.
The fishermen’s families have been protesting saying the Indian government failed to trace the missing men as its response to the disaster was delayed and lethargic.
Director of Bond Ocean Safari Jackson Peter said the prayer meet also helped to draw attention to climate change. “We had never seen a cyclone on the Indian east coast lining the Arabian Sea. We are yet to wake up to the dangers of climate change,” he said.