Tripura: Two women electrocuted in floods

Agartala, June 18: Two women were electrocuted and three people, including two children, injured, while about 20,000 people were rendered homeless due to fresh floods in Tripura.

Police sources here today said two old women were electrocuted in remote Brindabanpar of Dhalai district, when a 132 KV power line collapsed due to cyclone, killing the victims, who were walking on the flooded road and got exposed to the live wires in contact with the water yesterday.

Meanwhile, official reports said cyclonic strikes over the southwestern and northwestern parts of Tripura destroyed about 100 houses in three localities yesterday, while three people sustained serious injuries.

Besides, thunderstorms and heavy showers disrupted power and water supply as well as surface transport.

More than one lakh people had been displaced in the past week and the situation was worsening, officials said adding, ''The flood situation is grim as the water level of all major rivers and tributaries are gradually rising, although rains stopped late night yesterday.'' All the troops were on alert as several rivers continued to flow above the danger level and roads to the neighbouring states of Tripura, Barak Valley of Asom and Mizoram were disrupted due to floods.

Many roads had been blocked by mud and the authorities were using bulldozers to clear the debris. Besides, large areas of paddy fields had been ruined by the flood waters.

Relief and Rehabilitation Officials stated that incessant rains for the past three days had resulted in overflow in rivers and the low-lying areas had been flooded.

A number of BSF outposts in the western border of the state were also submerged due to heavy showers.

Official reports stated that the situation in Tripura had worsened due to severe floods in Bangladesh. Almost all the areas in the neighbouring country were under water and the flood waters spilt over into Tripura.

Meanwhile, the state was isolated from the rest of the country, following submerging of a large portion of the arterial National Highway 44 at Badarpur in Asom.

UNI