Flood situation in Bihar grim, toll rises to 27

Patna, Jul 27 (UNI) With reports of six more casualties, the toll in the flood rose to 27 in Bihar even as the situation remained grim across the state.

According to reports from Bagha, three children were swept away when they went to see the flood water in Madhuban division of West Champaran district yesterday.

Reports said in Raxaul two people were drowned in the swollen Siraswa and Tilawe rivers yesterday while in Muzaffarpur a girl was swept away by the strong current of flood water in Aurai block.

The state administration alerted the Central Water Commission and the special flood control cell to combat the situation as almost all major rivers including, the Budhigandak, Kosi, Bagmati, Punpun, Mahananda and Adhwara rivers were flowing above the danger levels.

The Ganga, Sone, Ghaghra, Gandak and Kamlabalan maintained a rising trend.

River Punpun, Dardha and Morhar were playing havoc in the low lying areas of Patna district as the embankments were breached at several places.

Meanwhile, a report from Muzaffarpur said the district magistrate had directed closure of all schools in the flooded Aurai and Kateya blocks for one week.

According to earlier reports, 14 people had met a watery grave in the swollen Ghogha river in Bhagalpur district while an old man was swept away in the flood water of river Chanan in Puccamool village.

One person was drowned in the flooded Gandak river.

The reports said four children drowned in a waterlogged ditch in Gaya district while a two-year-old girl drowned in the waterlogged Rajendranagar area of the state capital.

The flood situation in the state continued to remain grim with more than 900 villages marooned. Flood water had disrupted rail and road communications. In majority of the remote areas, telecommunication network was badly affected.

The districts affected include Patna, Madhubani, Samastipur, Sitamarhi, Saharsa, East and West Champaran, Darbhanga,Sheohar and Purnea.

UNI