Guwahati: In one of the deadliest single-day flood incidents in recent years, 21 people lost their lives across four districts of Assam on Tuesday, taking the death toll in the current wave of floods to 31.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), nearly half of the fatalities have been reported from Sivasagar district in eastern Assam.
In its latest update issued close to midnight, the ASDMA said floodwaters inundated 872 villages across 16 districts, affecting more than 5.65 lakh people and damaging 24,210.35 hectares of cropland.
Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat remained the worst-affected districts. Of the 21 deaths reported on Tuesday, 13 were from Sivasagar, five from Charaideo, two from Golaghat and one from Jorhat.
An ASDMA official said Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat together accounted for 25 of the 31 flood-related deaths reported so far. The remaining six fatalities were reported from Dhemaji, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Sonitpur districts.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attributed the latest flooding to a cloudburst upstream. He is scheduled to visit flood-affected areas and relief camps in Charaideo, Sivasagar and Jorhat districts on Wednesday to review relief operations.
The ASDMA said the Dikhow and Disang rivers were flowing above the highest flood level at certain stretches, while the Brahmaputra, Dhansiri and another river were flowing above the danger mark.
By Tuesday night, 12,284 people had taken shelter in 71 relief camps, while more than one lakh people were dependent on 202 relief distribution centres for essential supplies.
The ASDMA also reported damage to 33 roads and a bridge in Golaghat district. Six embankments were breached, further worsening the flood situation in the affected areas.