26 more killed in monsoon floods, lightning strikes in India
Neighbouring Bangladesh also hit by devastating floods, with dozens killed so far
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GUWAHATI (India) • At least 26 more people have died amid monsoon flooding and lightning strikes in India, while millions of others remained marooned in the country and in neighbouring Bangladesh, the authorities said yesterday.
Floods are a regular menace in India and Bangladesh, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency, ferocity and unpredictability for the 1.6 billion people living in the two countries.
In India's north-eastern state of Assam, three people were killed in landslides while six others died in flood waters, disaster management authorities said.
In the eastern state of Bihar, lightning triggered by storms killed at least 17 people, according to local disaster management minister Renu Devi.
Assam continued to reel under severe flooding, with 5,140 villages across the state's 33 districts submerged by surging waters.
More than 100,000 villagers are taking refuge in relief shelters. The state was first hit in April when pre-monsoon rains arrived, causing floods that killed 44 people. The flood waters receded after a few weeks, only to rise again this month at the start of the annual monsoon season and taking the state's death toll to 71 so far.
In neighbouring Meghalaya state, at least 16 people have been killed since last Thursday after landslides and surging rivers that submerged roads.
Monsoon storms have also unleashed devastating floods in Bangladesh that have left millions stranded and killed dozens so far.
Flood water was gradually receding from the north-eastern district of Sylhet yesterday, though millions of people are still marooned, said Mr Mosharraf Hossain, the chief administrator of the district.
"The relief shelters are full of affected people. There's a huge crisis of food and drinking water. Many are scared to return home, while many lost their houses in flood water," he told AFP.
Meanwhile, the receding water is flooding districts farther downstream in Habiganj and Brahmanbaria, officials said.
In Jamalpur district, an eight-year-old girl was swept away by strong currents from her inundated backyard and later found dead, police officer Aminul Islam told AFP.
The south-eastern Chittagong Hills districts continued to see heavy rainfall, leading to waterlogging in the port city of Chittagong and exacerbating risks of landslides.
India's weather department said yesterday that the annual monsoon rainfall has covered more than half of the country and conditions are favourable for it to advance into central, northern and western regions this week.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
