218 Killed in Gujarat Floods, Over 2 Lakh Affected in Odisha

Around 39,000 people shifted to safer places by the armed forces in Gujarat last week.

Indian Army personnel rescue and bring to safety stranded flood victims from flooded areas in Banashkantha district of Gujarat.

(Photo: PTI)

The flood toll in Gujarat has risen to 218 this monsoon, with 61 people killed in worst-hit Banaskantha district, an official said on Monday.

The toll increased in the last two days after more bodies were found as flood waters receded in Banaskantha and Patan districts of north Gujarat, he said.

218 people have died, with 61 in Banaskantha and seven in neighbouring Patan district.

Official, State Emergency Operation Centre

Floods due to torrential rain and release of water from dams affected 4.5 lakh people in the state, with over 39,000 people shifted to safer places and 11,400 rescued last week by teams of the Army, Air Force and National and State Disaster Response Forces.

The situation became serious as a huge volume of water was released from Dantiwada and Sipu dams following rains in other parts of the region and neighbouring Rajasthan.

22 Gram Panchayats Affected by Floods

A flood report from Odisha's Kendrapara district on Monday said the people of several villages under 14 gram panchayats of Pattamundai block and eight gram panchayats of Aul block were still marooned.

The situation is grim in Kendrapara district as the Brahmani and Kushabhadra rivers are flowing above the danger mark at Patrapur, Alava and Indupur. Over two lakh people have been affected in the flood caused by the Brahmani river, said officials.

At least seven persons have lost their lives in the floods with three deaths reported from Jajpur district and two each from Kalahandi and Malkangiri districts.

The Special Relief Commissioner's (SRC) office, however, said the situation in Jajpur and Kendrapara was expected to improve soon as the water level in the Brahmani had receded "significantly".

Following a directive from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the collectors of Rayagada and Kalahandi, hit by the first phase of the floods earlier this month, have submitted damage assessment reports.

(With inputs from PTI.)

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