Bihar flood toll rises to 457

Seven more deaths were reported from Khagaria taking the toll in the current spell of floods in the 19 districts of north Bihar to 457, official sources said on Wednesday.

Seven persons drowned in flood waters of Bagmati and Kosi in different blocks of flood-ravaged Khagaria district, official sources said adding around 100 panchayats in seven blocks of the district remained inundated and standing crop spread across an area of 90,000 hectares had been washed away.

Of the 457 deaths, 290 were reported from the three worst-hit districts of Darbhanga, Samastipur and Sitamarhi, disaster management sources told PTI in Patna.

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While the death toll in Samastipur has reached three digits, Sitamarhi accounted for 74 deaths so far. Other deaths have been reported from Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, East Champaran, Khagaria, Begusarai, West Champaran, Madhepura, Saharsa, Sheohar, Purnia, Katihar and Supual districts.

Major rivers, though showing a receding trend, continued to flow above the danger mark putting pressure on the embankments all along their course, a Central Water Commission release said.

Ten army columns with 40 power boats were working round the clock in distributing relief materials among 2.11 crore people in 8,976 affected villages.

The floods are being described as the worst ever in recent times.