Bihar floods: Two more deaths take toll to 20

With two more deaths in the past 24 hours, the toll in Bihar floods has risen to 20, an official said Sunday.

"The deaths in the Bihar floods rose to 20 Sunday with reports of two more deaths in the past 24 hours," Sunil Kumar, an official of the state disaster management department said.

He said floods have claimed 12 lives in worst flood-hit Nalanda district alone.

"More than 1.8 million people in 1,387 villages under 85 blocks have been hit by floods in 15 districts of the state," Kumar said.

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

"Rivers flowing above the danger mark are posing serious threat to the low-lying villages," Kumar said.

Bipin Kumar Rai, another official of the department said 116,329 people have been evacuated so far from the flood-hit districts.

"As many as 133 relief camps have been set up in these affected 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.