At least 15 dead as floods trap thousands in India and Bangladesh – Times of India







The floodwaters in India’s northeast and Bangladesh‘s eastern region caused hundreds of people staying stranded, as rescuers are trying to help the affected people. The disaster has resulted in 15 deaths so far, as per the media reports.
At least 11 people have lost their lives since Wednesday, and thousands are rendered homeless as floods and mudslides continue to grapple with Tripura and the neighboring country of Bangladesh.Out of the 11, seven were drowned or washed away while four were buried by mudslides.
Another 4 were killed in Bangladesh as upstream India and downstream Bangladesh share common rivers.
A red alert was issued by the meteorological department in Tripura after heavy rains engulfed several regions, including the state’s capital, Agartala on Wednesday. Following which, authorities announced a two-day closure of schools.
A pregnant woman had died in Bangladesh after she fell into raging waters at Akhaura in Brahmanbaria district. It further added that another three other people had died from drowning and electrocution, according to a Bengali newspaper, Kal Bela.
Tripura’s chief minister Manik Saha said, “We are closely monitoring the situation and are focusing on providing relief to those displaced from their homes.” More than 300 relief camps have been set up in Tripura by the authorities, although the number of those displaced is estimated to rise by thousands.
Many regions of eastern Bangladesh were devastated due to the rains and the rising waters from upstream Tripura state. Regions such as Cumilla, Feni and Noakhali had to call out for rescue as there was no power or road connectivity.
The capital city of Dhaka and southeastern port city of Chattogram faced even major consequences for travel and communication as a large part of highway sank.
As per the Bangladesh flood forecasting and warning center, water levels in many rivers in the delta nation’s eastern, northeastern and southeastern regions continue to increase.
About a dozen volunteers told The Associated Press over a call that they struggled to rescue people in many of the affected areas as there was no communication. The government stated that many areas have no power supply.
Sonia Akter, a mother of a 2-year-old girl from Feni, informed AP over a telephonic conversation, “We are taking shelter at a house where about 35 people need to be rescued soon. The water is still rising and now we are on the rooftop with our small kids and elderly family members,” She further requested to be rescued in a boat.
While both countries face hefty outcomes of the flood, many Bangladeshis blame India for the flash floods, claiming that India opened a river dam in Tripura, causing sudden floods in Bangladesh. However, ministry of external affairs denied any such claim in a statement.
The monsoon rains in the 2 South Asian nations typically begin in June. India and Bangladesh share 54 common rivers that commence from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. The countries have had disputes over the sharing of waters of the common rivers.










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