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India: Army evacuates over 120,000 amidst flood scares
Fri. August 29, 2008 01:06 am.- By Bonny Apunyu. -
(SomaliNet) Indian officials said on Thursday that fierce floods in eastern India forced Indian army troops to evacuate more than 120,000 people.
According to media reports, the flooding occurred when the Kosi river broke a dam in Nepal, causing huge waves to smash into villages in Bihar.
The evacuated people have been taken to temporary relief camps and rescuers are continuing operations.
"We have the army, disaster management teams, police and other groups of rescuers making every effort to save the population," said R.K. Singh, a top disaster management official.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, head of the ruling Congress party, flew over devastated areas by helicopter on Thursday.
So far, two million people have been forced to evacuate, with at least 55 reported dead. Activists and media put the toll much higher.
Telephone and power cables snapped due to the flooding and close to 250,000 houses have been destroyed.-Agencies
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