Family members of 1,000 fishermen from the Kanyakumari district deman­ded on Saturday that aerial searches and rescue operations be launched to trace the missing men. Blocking the national highway for almost five hours, the protesters demanded better relief and rescue measures. Several boats appear to have capsized due to heavy winds and rain after the cycl­one made landfall in the state and neighbouring Kerala on Thursday.

Locals try to catch fish as water level in rivers increased following heavy rain in the Kanyakumari region on Saturday