Displaced civilians cross Nanthikadal Lagoon to reach cleared areas in Vellamullivaikkal yesterday (15). An estimated crowd of 3719 civilians had crossed over to the cleared area through a newly opened up ‘escape route’ via Nanthikadal Lagoon during past 24 hours, the Army said yesterday. Those civilians got hold of anything available at hand to float on water, including inflated tyre-tubes, rafts, ropes, small boats, locally-made ‘Theppem’, etc, and managed to cross the lagoon en masse, despite rains of LTTE bullets meant to frighten, injure and prevent the escapees from deserting Tigers, Army said.