Fifteen sailors were rescued from Prathiba Cauvery ship which ran aground in Chennai before the landfall of Cyclone Nilam.

Speaking to newsmen, Additional Director General of Police Mr. Shylendra Babu said that the State Police, Coast Guard and Navy personnel were involved in this operation.

Coast Guard Deputy Inspector General Mr. Gurudeep Singh said that search operations are still going on to find out the missing persons.

The vessel with 37 crew on board ran aground near Elliots Beach in South Chennai about 200 metres away from the shore.

Meanwhile Cyclone Nilam, which hit the Tamil Nadu coast near Mahabalipuram last evening, has weakened. The cyclone left 11 people dead in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

In Andhra Pradesh, incessant rain under the influence of the Cyclone storm Nilam continued on the third day today even after it crossed the coast last evening.

Several low laying areas in Nellore , Praksam and Chittoor districts were inundated due to heavy rain despite the storm weakening further to a depression.

reports of damage to communication network, huts with thatched roof and standing crops like paddy and groundnut came in. Several trains on Chennai-Visakhapatnam section are running late due to heavy rain in coastal areas.

However, the state Administration has kept a National Disaster Management Team stand by at Nellore .