Thousands flee as floods swamp Assam, Bihar

The entire Northeast on Monday remained cut-off from rest of the country and train services in north Bihar came to a grinding halt.

The entire Northeast on Monday remained cut-off from rest of the country and train services in Bihar came to a grinding halt as surging flood waters in the two states inundated more areas forcing hundreds of thousands of people to take shelter in makeshift relief camps.

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A dam burst in Bhutan and the menacing rise in water levels of Brahmaputra and its tributaries due to incessant rains worsened the flood situation in Assam.

More than 25 lakh people in the state faced the fury of rampaging floods with the death toll mounting to 13, officials in Guwahati said.

A breach in Kurisho Hydel project and the decision of Bhutanese authorities to release excess water from the dam inundated all low-lying areas in Lower Assam.

The state and the entire Northeast region remained cut-off from the rest of the country both by road and rail.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi discussed the situation with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and announced a relief of Rs 60 crore for the affected people.

Army rescued more than 700 marooned people from Samdhara and Kulkami villages in Sonitpur district as heavy downpours triggered landslides in South Assam's Barak valley hitting road, rail and air traffic.

Train services came to a halt and road traffic was suspended in many areas in north Bihar as the flood situation worsened in the state with more areas in Sitamarhi and Darbhanga getting submerged.

Swollen Bagmati and Adhwara rivers submerged more villages in Sitamarhi and Darbhanga districts, officials in Patna said.