Over 6 lakh marooned in Assam floods, toll now 7

Guwahati: Over 6.5 lakh people in 15 districts of Assam continue to be marooned in the floods, as the toll reached seven after four bodies were recovered in Dhubri district on Saturday, the authorities said. Officials said the situation has improved slightly, with most of the rivers showing a steady trend on Saturday. As the toll rose to seven, there were reports that two people were swept away by the surging waters in Dhubri when their boat capsized.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority on Friday said three people died in Chirang and Kokrajhar districts due to the floods. The state government has restricted the movement of passenger boats and ferries in rivers flowing above the danger level. Ferry services between Guwahati and north Guwahati, Jorhat to the Majuli island and other places have also been suspended due to the rising water levels in some rivers. Disaster management authority CEO P.K. Tiwari said most of the rivers have receded or were showing a steady trend. "We hope the situation will improve as the rains have stopped," he added. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi reviewed the flood situation with Water Resources Minister Basanta Das and senior officials at the chief minister's secretariat.

Gogoi directed the revenue and disaster management department to take all possible steps to gear up relief and rescue operations and asked it to provide food, medicine, drinking water to people housed in relief camps. About 85,400 people from the flood-affected districts were currently living in 120 relief camps. Kokrajhar district is one of the worst hit, where 84 relief camps have been set up, officials said.

(IANS)