Flood claims 22 lives in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Sep 26 (UNI) With eight more deaths reported during the last 24 hours, the death toll in flood related incidents in Orissa rose to 22 today while hundreds of villages in Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Kendrapada districts still remained marooned.

Official sources here said Balasore district was the worst affected where eight people, seven of them drowned, have died so far and 14 lakh people were affected with Budhabalang and Subarnarekha rivers still flowing above the danger mark.

Incidents of deaths were also reported from Mayurbhanja, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Nayagarha, Keonjhar and Khurda districts.

Flood situation continued to remain grave as water level in many rivers was over the danger level for the third consecutive day today.

More than two million people spread over 30 blocks in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada and Mayurbhanja districts had been badly affected in the floods caused due to torrential rains following a depression in the Bay of Bengal.

Even after four days, several areas were still submerged paralysing normal life and damaging standing crop. Road communications were also disrupted at many places in Balasore and Bhadrak districts.

UNI