Saturday, March 12 2005 19:39 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: Panic gripped people in some coastal areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu after sea water rose and strong waves lashed the beach last night (March 11, 2005) and today (March 12, 2005).

In Kerala, about 70 fishing boats were damaged in the coastal area of Poonthura in Thiruvanathapuram when tidal waves traversed the shore for about 80 metres today, police said.

Seven houses were partially damaged at Mukhadavu beach area in Kozhikode in the surging waves, the sources said.

A Nagercoil report, quoting official sources today, said four fishermen were injured and ten fishing boats and 25 catamarans were damaged when surging waves lashed the shore at Enayamputhenthurai near Colachel in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu last night.

The rough sea phenomenon was due to high tide and it is not associated with Tsunami, Kanyakumari District Collector Sunil Paliwal told sources in Chennai. The sea was calm today and fishermen put to sea as usual, he added.

Meanwhile, a Nagapattinam report said fishermen of the district, the worst affected in the December 26 Tsunami, put to sea today after their fears of high tides since full moon day on March 10 were proved wrong.

People living along these areas in the district went about their work as usual and there was no sign of the sea becoming turbulent, as in Nagercoil, official sources said.