Heavy rainfall in recent days has caused major problems in northeast India and Bangladesh. In a week, about 60 people died in that area from floods, storms and mudslides. The local authorities in Bangladesh reported on Sunday to the AFP news agency that the water in the country is slowly receding. This is expected to make it easier for rescuers to work in the affected area.
The problems started in northeast India, where the heavy precipitation caused a dike to burst at the Barak River. It flows from the north of India through Bangladesh, where several tributaries also flow into it; the Barak follows the border between the two countries for tens of kilometers and eventually empties into the Bay of Bengal. Due to the dike breach, which took place at a border town, at least a hundred villages in Bangladesh are under water. Only when the rain stops and the water level drops further can the repairs be carried out, according to local authorities.
In Bangladesh, rising waters have cut nearly two million people off major arteries, making them difficult to access. Their houses or land have (partially) come under water. Flood Forecasting and Warning Center said the floods have hit the Sylhet district, in the northeast of the country, particularly hard. Just across the border, in the Indian state of Assam, there are also many victims.
Authorities in Assam announced on Sunday that more than 92,000 people are still in shelters after the floods. On the other border with Bangladesh, in the Indian state of Bihar, at least 30 people were killed in severe thunderstorms on Thursday. Farmers’ crops and thousands of fruit trees were also damaged.
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