Odisha floods: Death toll rises to 7, over 1,600 people evacuated

Meanwhile, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday visited flood affected area in Jajpur district of Odisha.

Floods triggered by heavy rains continued to wreak havoc in many parts of the country killing several people.

In Odisha, the death toll due to floods rose to seven with the death of three more persons in Jajpur district while lightning strikes in Bhadrak, Balasore and Kendrapara districts claimed the lives of 11 people and left around eight injured.

According to reports from Jajpur district, three persons - Kusa Pradhan of village Khairadiha, Sonu Dalai of Badasulidiha and Ranjit Mallick of Makeipur - lost their lives in the flash flood in the district, an official statement said.

One person of Nilakanthapur gram panchayat of Kendrapara district is reported to be missing in river Brahmani. An Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) team is engaged in the search operation, they said.

Four persons, two each in Kalahandi and Malkangiri districts, had died in the flood earlier.

Water level in river Brahmani has receded by more than a foot in Kendrapara and Jajpur districts. Barring these two, situation in all other districts is normal.

At least 15 gram panchayats of Bari block were affected due to a breach on Brahmani left embankment at Kimbhiriapal gram panchayat on Saturday, reports PTI.

About 1,600 people have been evacuated to safe shelters at eight places, while many others in the inundated areas have taken shelter in the houses of their neighbourers, a senior official said.

Health and sanitation teams have been deployed in all flood affected areas.

As soon as the water level comes down, temporary restoration of the breached embankment will be taken up.

Meanwhile, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday visited flood affected area in Jajpur district of Odisha.

Pradhan asked the local administration to provide immediate flood relief to the people and said that more than 1 lac people have been affected in the district.
The flood-like situation in the southwestern districts of Rajasthan too has started to improve as the water showed receding trend, even as the death toll touched 17 since 22 July.

The flood situation in West Bengal improved further as water has started to recede in the majority of the rivers in the worst-hit Howrah, Hooghly and West Midnapore districts. The toll, however, rose to 34 since 21 July following the death of three more persons in the state, officials said.

PTI