Army called out as Kosi wreaks havoc in Bihar

With the Kosi river continuing to unleash its fury in Supaul, Araria, Madhepura and Saharsa districts of Bihar bordering Nepal, the Army has been called out to help the marooned people.

With the Kosi river continuing to unleash its fury in Supaul, Araria, Madhepura and Saharsa districts of Bihar bordering Nepal, the Army was on Tuesday called out to help the marooned people.

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The Army will work in addition to three IAF helicopters dropping relief materials for the sixth day today.

The water gushing in torrents through the breach in the east Kosi afflux embankment at upstream Kusaha village in Nepal that has widened to more than two km now and is still stretching, devastated fresh areas in the four districts, according to Disaster Management Department Additional Commissioner Pratyay Amrit.

An Army contingent, comprising about 100 men and officers with ten motorboats have rushed to Madhepura and one more IAF chopper, in addition to three already pressed into service would join in the relief operations from tomorrow, he told PTI.

Hundreds of jawans and officers of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Special Auxiliary Police (SAP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and district police are already engaged to provide succour to the lakhs of people affected by the deluge.

"Nearly 25 lakh people are waging a grim battle against the floods which have assumed proportions of a catastrophe. The nature is putting my government to test once again, but we will succeed," Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said while addressing party workers, who he called upon to plunge wholeheartedly into providing relief to the suffering masses.

The flood have affected 15 districts - Muzaffarpur, Patna, Katihar, Nalanda, West Champaran, Khagaria Sheikhpura, Purnia, Saran, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura and Araria.

With four deaths reported from Bhagalpur district over the last 24 hours, the death toll due to floods has mounted to 46 so far.