Bihar floods: Deaths toll rises to 341

Principal Secretary in the Disaster Management Department Pratyay Amrit said food packets were being airdropped in the inundated areas on war footing.

The flood situation in Bihar remained grim with the death toll reaching 341 on Tuesday.

146.19 lakh people are battling the deluge in 19 districts of the state. The figure of flood fatalities rose by three each in Assam and Uttar Pradesh. However, life in the deluge-ravaged areas of West Bengal slowly limped back to normalcy, with the water level of rivers receding.

Around 7.34 lakh people in Bihar have been shifted to safer areas. Close to 3.27 lakh people are putting up in 1,346 relief camps.

Araria district accounted for 71 deaths alone, Sitamarhi (34), West Champaran (29), Katihar (26), Madhubani (22), East Champaran (19), Darbhanga (19), Madhepura (15), Supual (13), Kisanganj (11), Gopalganj (9), Purnea (9) Muzaffarpur (7), Khagaria (6), Saran (6) and Saharsa (4), Sheohar (4).

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a high-level ministerial meeting to take stock of the flood situation.

Principal Secretary in the Disaster Management Department Pratyay Amrit said food packets were being airdropped in the inundated areas on war footing. The CM ordered that damaged roads be restored at the earliest.

Meanwhile, train services continued to be affected as floodwaters have overtopped tracks. An East Central Railways statement said train services have resumed on some sections under the Samastipur division with speed restriction.

Chief Public Relations Officer of the ECR Rajesh Kumar said 11 trains have been cancelled for Tuesday. These include 15549 Jaynagar-Patna Intercity Express, 25909 Link Express, 15211 Darbhanga-Amritsar Express and 15212 Amritsar-Darbhanga Express, he said.

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