Assam floods: Situation critical, affected people over 24 lakh, 77 animals dead

GUWAHATI: Flood situation in Assam remained critical for the fourth day in a row on Friday, with the number of affected people rising to over 24 lakh. Dhubri district has been hit particularly hard, with more than seven lakh people bearing the brunt of the deluge.
The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, which is currently grappling with the devastating effects of the ongoing deluge, has reported the deaths of 77 animals, with the toll rising from 31 on Thursday.The casualties include three rhinos, 62 hog deer, and an otter, which drowned in the floodwaters in the park. In addition to the animals that perished due to drowning, 11 more succumbed during treatment.
No human fatality was directly linked to the floods on Friday, but a landslide claimed the lives of a mother and her son as they slept in the early hours of Friday morning. Additionally, an eight-year-old child was reported missing after falling into a flooded drain in Guwahati, a city struck by flash floods following the heaviest rainfall of the year in the past 24 hours.
Till Thursday, the devastating floods that have struck this year have claimed the lives of 52 persons across the affected regions.
Across the 30 districts impacted by the disaster, more than 4.65 lakh people have been forced to evacuate their homes and are currently seeking refuge in relief camps and distribution centers, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority’s report on Friday.
The relief camps are currently home to 222 expectant mothers and women nursing their infants. These camps are also providing shelter to more than 96,000 children.
Central Water Commission stated that water levels of rivers in the lower Brahmaputra region in Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Chirang, Baksa, Barpeta, and South Salmara Mancachar are likely to be in steady to rising conditions for the next 24 hours.