Flood kills at least 40 in central, eastern India

At least 40 people have lost their lives and thousands of others have been evacuated after heavy floods struck areas in central and eastern India.

Heavy rain during the last 48 hours has caused the Ganges river and its tributaries to flow above danger level in some 20 districts of the states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, disaster management officials said Monday.

They said 17 people were killed in Madhya Pradesh, 14 in Bihar and nine in Uttar Pradesh. They were killed from drowning, electrocution and injuries from house collapses.

At least 16,000 people have also been evacuated from their homes and thousands of others have taken shelter in more than 80 relief camps in the eastern Bihar state. Some six rivers are flowing above the danger level in the state.

In the state of Uttar Pradesh, the Ganges river has been flowing above the danger level and forced people to leave their homes in low lying areas and move to higher ground.

“Water has been gushing in the area for the last three days,” said a resident of the village. “All the land has been inundated with flood water. All the crops have been damaged. Water has started entering our houses.”

Another resident in Patna city said everything has been submerged in river and there was no arrangement of food, drinking water or boats.

Floods triggered by heavy rains during the monsoon seasons claim scores of lives every year in India.

Earlier this month, flood claimed the lives of almost 100 people in the northern regions. Heavy downpours also affected the central state of Madhya Pradesh, killing at least 15 people.