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1st LD Writethru: Over 800 tourists standed in southeast India islands due to bad weather

Xinhua, December 7, 2016 Adjust font size:

More than 800 tourists, including some international travellers, are being stranded in India's southeastern Andaman and Nicobar Islands due to extremely bad weather, the Indian Navy said Wednesday.

Navy spokesperson Captain D.K. Sharma said four naval ships have been dispatched to Havelock Island, which is 36 km from Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, to evacuate those stranded amid fear of a potential cyclonic storm hitting the island.

He said that the four ships have arrived at the area but could not proceed towards Havelock Island because of the bad state of the sea water.

"More than 800 tourists are stranded in Havelock Island; we are ready for evacuation, waiting for weather to clear," he added.

The naval spokesperson said the ships will evacuate the tourists from Havelock Island and ferry them to Port Blair, from where they can leave for their respective destinations.

"Our highest consideration is the safety of the tourists," he said.

A popular tourist destination known for its beaches, Havelock is the largest in the chain of islands that form the Ritchie's Archipelago. Thousands of tourists visit the island to spend the New Year in December earch year. Endit