Floods wreak havoc, claim 81 lives in three states

New Delhi, August 2

At least 81 people died and more than 80 lakh were affected in fresh floods due to excessive rains in worst-affected Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Odisha.

While the death toll touched 48 in West Bengal, 28 died in Rajasthan and five in Odisha, a Home Ministry statement said here on Sunday.

In West Bengal, 48 deaths have been reported from various parts of the state during the floods owing to lightning, wall collapse, electrocution, snake bite and drowning.

As reported by the state government, due to cyclone KOMEN, heavy to very heavy rainfall occurred at isolated places in almost all South West Bengal districts.

So far, 12 districts consisting of 210 blocks and 9,691 villages have been affected due to floods. Nearly 36.9 lakh people are affected.

The state government has deployed 121 boats for rescue and relief operations. A total of 5,672 cattle are also lost in the floods.

The state government has set up 1,537 relief camps and 2.14 lakh people have been accommodated, it said.

In Gujarat, 14 districts and population of about 40 lakh were affected in recent floods due to heavy rainfall in the last few days.

More than 10 lakh food packets have been airdropped or distributed to the flood victims, an official statement said here today. Temporary relief camps have been set up in affected areas and peoples are accommodated on need basis.

 A total of 17 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed for rescue and relief operations in Gujarat.

In Rajasthan, so far 28 people have lost their lives, out of which 12 people died during past few days owing to very heavy rainfall and flood like situation in many parts of the state.

Rajasthan has experienced excessive rainfall in most of its districts. The situation is grim particularly in districts of Jalore, Jhalawar, Baran, Sirohi, Barmer and Dungarpur.

Apart from State Disaster Response Force, Police, RAC etc., at present eight teams of NDRF were deployed for rescue and relief operations.

So far, more than 630 peoples have been rescued from various districts in Rajasthan.

Relief materials have been distributed to the affected population.

In Odisha, seven districts namely Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jharsuguda and Deogarh were affected by the floods, the statement said.

A total of five people lost their lives and 644 villages and population – 4.8 lakh are affected. ODRAF units are carrying out relief and rescue operations.

So far, 1,574 people have been evacuated to safer places.

Seven relief camps have been opened and 55 people have been accommodated. 132 boats have been deployed for rescue operations.

Two NDRF teams deployed in landslide-hit Manipur

Two teams of NDRF have been deployed to Manipur's Chandel district where 20 villagers were swept away in landslides yesterday.

One team of 22 rescuers of National Disaster Response Force has been airlifted and has already reached the worst affected Joumol village where 12 houses were also swept away by landslides yesterday.

The other team is reaching this evening, an official statement said here today.

Twenty people were killed in a landslide triggered by heavy incessant rain at Joumol village in Manipur's Chandel district yesterday.

The village is located about 96 km from Tengnoupa, the nearest town, of which 83 km is motorable. Rescue operations are going on and they have rescued one villager so far, the official said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has spoken to Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh over phone last night and assured him all central assistance to deal with the situation arising out of the massive landslides in Chandel district. — PTI