Flash floods kill 27, displace 900,000 in NE India

Flash floods kill 27, displace 900,000 in NE India
# 29 June 2012 02:04 (UTC +04:00)
Baku-APA. Flash floods, triggered by monsoon rains, have killed 27 people and displaced 900,000 others in India’s northeastern state of Assam, according to officials, APA reports quoting Press TV.

"So far, 27 people have died in separate incidents, including five who were killed when their boat sank," AFP quoted Assam Agriculture Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka as saying on Thursday.

He noted that the torrential monsoon rains, which began last weekend, had affected 21 of Assam’s 27 districts.

"Most of the displaced people have been forced to take shelter on raised platforms and in tarpaulin tents," Deka added.

Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also warned that the situation is expected to worsen across the state, saying “all major rivers are running menacingly high with breaches reported in many places."

Rescuers have reportedly set up 1,500 temporary shelters for stranded people.

Despite largely contributing to India’s food production and economic growth, a punishing annual monsoon potentially translate into disaster for the country’s farmers.
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