Around 74 more deaths were today reported from the deluge-battered areas of Bihar, Assam and West Bengal, where swirling floodwaters have paralysed normal life and marooned over 1.20 crore people.
The figure of flood casualties mounted to 119 in Bihar, with 47 more people losing their lives. The deluge has affected nearly 98 lakh people in 16 districts, forced postponement of examination and cancellation of trains, officials said.
Araria district accounted for 23 deaths, Sitamarhi 12, Kisanganj, East Champaran, West Champaran and Supual 11 each, Madhubani and Katihar 7 each, Madhepura and Purnea 5 each, Darbhanga and Saharsa 4 each, Gopalganj and Khagaria 3 each and Sheohar 2.
The flood situation may take a turn for the worse as the MeT office has predicted rain in Nepal and northern and southern Bihar for one more week.
The Health Department has launched a toll-free number -- 104 -- officials said, adding hospitals have been directed to maintain a sufficient stock of anti-snake and anti-rabies injections.
Disaster Management Department Principal Secretary Pratyay Amrit said 3.59 lakh people have been shifted to safer places. Of them, 2.13 lakh were put up in 504 relief camps.
Food packets are being airdropped in inundated areas. Where flood waters have receded, they are being supplied through panchayats.
Principal Secretary, Road Construction, Amrit Lal Meena said 124 roads, including national highways, have been damaged due to floods.
An East Central Railways statement said 39 trains were cancelled as water overtopped tracks.
Floods claimed 17 more lives in six northern districts of West Bengal, even as the overall situation improved today, officials said.
Out of the 17 people, 15 drowned while two others died after they were bitten by snake, a senior disaster management department official said.
Forty-nine people have died in flood-related incidents in the districts of Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Coochbehar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda since July 21, the official said.
As rains have abated, water has started receding and the situation has improved a lot, he said.
Ten more people died due to floods in Assam. Around 31 lakh people across 24 districts are bearing the brunt of the flooding.
The toll in the third wave of floods in the state has risen to 49. 133 people have died so far this year in flood- related incidents.
According to a report by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), three persons died in Dhubri, two in Morigaon and one each in Dhemaji, Sonitpur, Barpeta, South Salmara and Nagaon districts.
Currently, 2,584 villages are under water. 1.67 lakh hectares of crop area has been damaged, the ASDMA said.
Authorities are running 602 relief camps and distribution centres in 21 districts, where 1,01,035 people are taking shelter.
The NDRF, SDRF and district administration personnel have evacuated nearly 3,500 people to safer places.
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