Hyderabad, Dec. 28: Spat out by the sea, the bodies have started arriving.

Yesterday, residents of Taranagar, Ramnagar and Secunderabad cantonment received eight bodies as Hyderabad counted its dead. But the grim parade has just begun.

Nearly 40 Christian pilgrims, including 18 women and six children, who had left for Velankanni in Tamil Nadu are feared dead. The fate of another 23, among them six women and four children, is also unknown, police and relief officials said.

?We do not want to spread panic but, as of now, we have enquiries from over 125 families about the well-being of their kin,? police officials said in Secunderabad.

Besides the Christians, nearly 20 Muslim pilgrims to the Nagormir dargah near Nagercoil, in Tamil Nadu, are also feared dead.

?We have definite information that about 18 of them have been swept away by the sea when they went for a bath on Sunday morning,? said Maulvi Gulam Ahmed of Aliabad in the old city.

In Basheerbagh, grief hung heavy as news of the missing seven-member family of 30-year-old Yujen Anthony reached residents. But Yujen?s mother Elizabeth refused to give up hope.

?I am confident my son and his family will be saved by Mary Mata. My son does not even drink,? the 56-year-old said.

Reports from Nagapattinam said whereabouts of two other families from Hyderabad are also not known.