Assam floods claim three lives

Unabated floods in Assam have claimed three lives, washed as many others since Monday and affected over eight lakh people in 18 districts with incessant rains sending Brahmaputra and its tributaries in spate.
One person died in the flood at Chabua in Dibrugarh district yesterday and a woman and her child this morning due to a landslide following heavy rainfall at Kalipahar area in Amingaon of Kamrup(Rural) district this morning, police said.
A driver of a truck and his handiman were swept away along with the vehicle near Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon district today by surging flood waters flowing over the highway.

Another person was washed away yesterday and is still missing in Doomdooma circle of Tinsukia district, police said.
Three lives were claimed by the floods, an annual natural calamity in Assam, yesterday -- two in Dhemaji district and one in Cachar district, the daily bulletin of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said.
The deluge has so far claimed 25 lives and washed away four others.

ASDMA said over 7.35 lakh persons are affected in 18 districts of Dhemaji, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Goalpara, Morigaon, Cachar, Nagaon, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Tinsukia, Darrang, Baksa, Nalbari, Udalguri, Kamrup and Dibrugarh districts.
Dhemaji is the worst-hit with over 3.4 lakh persons suffering due to the floods, followed by Lakhimpur with 74,156 people reeling under it.

The flood waters have inundated over 1.5 lakh farm fields with standing crops, ASDMA said.
Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at Dibrugarh town, Nematighat in Jorhat district, Tezpur in Sonitpur and Dhubri town.
Burhidehing river crossed danger mark at Khowang in Dibrugarh, Dhansiri at Numaligarh in Golaghat, Jia Bharali at NT Road crossing in Sonitpur, Puthimari at NH Road crossing in Kamrup, Pagladiya at NH Road crossing in Nalbari, Beki at Road Bridge in Barpeta, Sankosh at Golokganj in Dhubri and Kushiyara at Karimganj town, ASDMA said.
The flood waters have inundated and damaged roads at Darrang, Baksa, Jorhat, Barpeta, Nalbari, Udalguri, Dhemaji, Cachar and Dibrugarh districts, besides three bridges at Baksa, Jorhat and Nalbari districts, the bulletin said.

Four embankments were also breached in Baksa and Nalbari districts, it added.