Vadodara, December 26:

	Rescue effort by state
	A TEAM of 15 fire brigade jawans, led by Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) fire official H J Taparia, left for the affected areas in South India on Sunday evening. Co-ordinating with the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority, Vadodara collector Bhagyesh Jha said that in addition to rescue teams, 2,000 food packets were also sent in the first sortie to go from Ahmedabad airport.

THE news of the tsunami on the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra evoked memories of the 2002 earthquake for the citizens of Vadodara.

With phone lines jammed, many Tamil and Andhra residents of the city were worried about their relatives back home in the southern states. Travel operators also made attempts to trace their patrons to be sure of their safe passage.

Prof S Ganapathy, a M S University geologist, kept himself busy on the telephone trying to get news about his relatives living in Tamil Nadu. ‘‘I could get through only after 4.30 pm. My sister-in-law in Jakarta also is safe,’’ said a relieved Ganapathy. Some like Mudrika Shah made quick calls to ensure the safety of their relatives in Pondicherry.

Jayendrasinh Jhala of Transline Travels tried to get in through his NRI clientele, two Gujarati couples from Canada who are on a tour of the south-eastern coastal belt.

‘‘I could manage to get through them right on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border where they had gone visiting Thekkady. They were to visit Rameshwaram,’’ said Jhala. He added that the two couples, Trivedis and Chotais, had arranged tour in the southern India through his agency.