Thaindian News

Kolkata, Aug 14 (IANS) With one more death reported Sunday, the toll in West Bengal floods rose to 15. About 1.9 million people across 14 districts have been affected, the state government said.

Altogether 135,000 houses spread over 195 blocks and 57 municipalities have been fully or partly damaged in the deluge triggered by heavy torrential rains, according to an official pressnote.

Of the 15 casualties, nine were victims of wall collapse, three of snake bite, while two were drowned and one was struck by lightning. Six of the dead are women.

“Udaynarayanpur and Amta in Howrah and Khanakul in Hooghly are the most affected blocks. At Udaynarayanpur, the Damodar river has breached its embankments at five places,” said state Irrigation Minister Manas Bhuniya.

The second battalion of the National Disaster Response Force has been deployed at Udaynarayanpur for rescue operation, he said.

So far, 15,981 people have been sheltered in 170 relief camps in North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, Malda, Burdwan, Howrah, Hooghly and West Midnapore districts, Bhuniya said.

The district administrations of Howrah, Hooghly, Burdwan, East Midnapore and West Midnapore have been asked to take precautionary measures because of possible discharge of water from Durgapur and Kangsabati barrages.

Ten mobile water treatment units have been rushed to various districts for supply of pure drinking waters, while 214 medical camps have been opened and control rooms set up in all the affected districts.