Bihar floods toll rises to 17

With eight more deaths in the last 24 hours, the toll in Bihar floods has risen to 17, an official said Tuesday.

"The deaths in the Bihar floods rose to 17 Tuesday with reports of eight more deaths in the last 24 hours," Sunil Kumar, an official of the state disaster management department said.

He said floods have claimed 10 lives in Nalanda district, two each in Patna, Saharsa and Darbhanga districts and one life in Sitamarhi district.

"More than 1.1 million people in 582 villages under 43 blocks have been hit by the floods in 13 districts of the state," Kumar said.

He said major rivers, including Kosi, were flowing above the danger mark at several places.

He said so far 37,000 people have been evacuated from the flood-hit districts of Saharsa, Supaul, Darbhanga and Gopalganj.

"The department has set up 76 relief camps in these districts," he added.

The government earlier sounded a high alert as water level of major rivers in north Bihar, especially Kosi, Gandak, Kamla Balan and Bagmati, rose following heavy rain in their catchment areas in Nepal.

Over a dozen teams of the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force have been deployed in the flood-hit districts.

The state disaster management department has asked people living in low-lying areas to move to higher ground.