About 11 people have been killed and thousands displaced from their homes as floods and mudslides have swept through India’s northeastern state of Tripura, on the border with Bangladesh, since Wednesday.
Four others were killed in Bangladesh, which shares rivers along its border with India.
India’s meteorological department issued a red alert in Tripura on Wednesday, forcing authorities to close schools for two days after heavy rains inundated several areas, including the state capital, Agartala.
Authorities have opened more than 300 relief camps in Tripura, with thousands of refugees estimated to be moving to the camps.
In this context, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said: “We are closely monitoring the situation and focusing on providing relief to those displaced from their homes.”
In Bangladesh, local newspaper Kal Billa reported that a pregnant woman died after falling into floodwaters in Akora town in Brahmanbaria district.
The newspaper added that three other people died by drowning and electrocution.
While both neighbouring countries were affected by the floods, many Bangladeshis accused India of “causing the floods”, saying that New Delhi “opened a dam on a river in Tripura, causing floods in their country”.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs denied this in an official statement.
The monsoon rains begin in the South Asian countries of India and Bangladesh in June. India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers that flow from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal.
Source: Associated Press
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2024-08-22 12:31:42
