Mumbai, Nov 12 (IANS) Seven fishermen were killed and 17 fishing boats with some 100 men were still missing in the Arabian Sea as Cyclone Phyan left a trail of destruction in Maharashtra’s Konkan region, officials said Thursday.
Four ships and four helicopters of the Coast Guard were engaged in a search for the missing fishermen on the 760-km-long Konkan coastal region, which comprises five districts.

Two large fishing trawlers sank in the rough seas, one at Revdanda and another at Uran. Officials assessed preliminary estimates of damage caused by the cyclone to property, agriculture and horticulture at Rs.200 crore.

Chief Minister Ashok Chavan announced a compensation of Rs.1 lakh to the families of the deceased and between Rs.10,000-Rs.50,000 to those who have suffered losses on various counts.

Ratnagiri district bore the brunt before the cyclone fizzled out.

“Three more bodies were washed ashore this (Thursday) afternoon, taking the death toll here to seven,” Deputy Collector J.M. Virkar told IANS. Another 14 people were injured due to the cyclone fury.

A total of 7,575 homes were partly damaged and 96 destroyed as winds packing speeds of 90 km per hour lashed the region, Virkar said.

In Ratnagiri, power supply has been severely hit as hundreds of electric poles were uprooted or blown away.

“In many areas, large trees were uprooted and fell on either the national and state highways or district roads, making it difficult to rush relief and rescue teams,” the official told IANS.

Raigad district - boarding Mumbai on the mainland in the south - also suffered damage to property and crops.

Raigad deputy resident collector Ramesh Survade said 14 homes were destroyed while 1,335 suffered partial damage. Similarly 113 cattle sheds were damaged.

“Schools, colleges and Panchayat and district administration buildings also suffered damage,” Survade told IANS.

Rice crops, vegetables, mango orchards and coconut trees also were destroyed in over 17,250 hectares in the region.

Sindhudurg collector Vikram Kumar said nine boats were still missing, with at least 25 fishermen on board. Another 290 boats and over 2,000 fishing nets have been badly damaged.

“Without boats and fishing nets, the fishermen will be unemployed for three to four months,” Kumar explained.

Thousands of families who lost their homes were accommodated in government buildings and schools.