Assam floods: 13 killed, 10 lakh affected
Guwahati, Sept 23 (IBNS)
At least five people including four children were killed in fresh floods in Assam on Sunday as the death toll rose to 13, officials said.
Three children were killed at Barekuri area near Makum, when a boat capsized in flood waters.
"10 people are still missing in the boat capsize incident," an official said.
The army has been engaged in the rescue operation.
Meanwhile, a child and a man died in Biswanath Chariali and Chabua in drawn flood waters.
Over 10 lakh people of 17 districts of the state are affected, while the situation is still grim.
Flood waters submerged 1,500 villages in Tinisukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Darrang, Udalguri, Baska, Dhubri, Nalbari, Kamrup, Morigaon, Nagaon and Barpeta district.
The district administration had been set up 155 relief camps in different districts, where 1,44,750 people have taken shelter.
The state government of Assam has ordered to the respective district administrations to take all safety measures.
Brahmaputra and other tributaries of the river continued flowing above the danger mark in several areas of the state.
In Guwahati, several areas were inundated by flood waters as the Brahmaputra river flowed above dangerous levels.
At least 20 forest camps were submerged by flood waters in Kaziranga National Park, while animals had were forced to take shelter at higher lands.
Hundreds of one-horned rhinoceros, deer, wild elephant have reportedly crossed the NH-37 and taken shelter in the nearest Karbi Anglong as almost 70 percent area of the park has been submerged by flood waters.
"We have taken all safety measures for animals in the park," a park official said.
Nearly 50 percent area of the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon district and Dibru-Chaikhowa were also submerged in flood waters.
Meanwhile, the administration of the river island Majuli has ordered all educational institutions to remain closed indefinitely.
At least 250 villages of Majuli have been submerged by flood waters.