Flash floods in northern Bangladesh leave hundreds of thousands stranded, at least six dead

DHAKA: Days of devastating flash floods, triggered by heavy rains and upstream torrents, have stranded hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh’s northern Mymensingh region, with thousands of homes still under water.

According to the National Disaster Response Coordination Center (NDRCC) under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, severe flooding has engulfed low-lying areas across three districts, Mymensingh, Sherpur and Nertokona, with six people dead in the ongoing unprecedented floods.

The center said in its latest update that six people, including four men and two women, have died in the floods as of Monday.

Most of the serious flooding has been in the Sherpur district where it caused colossal damage to life, property and standing crops.

While the flood situation slightly improved in Sherpur, it worsened in parts of Netrakona and Mymensingh as the flood moved downstream, washing away river protection embankments.

The flood situation has also been deteriorating fast with the rivers inundating vast tracts of land and upending the lives of hundreds of thousands.

More than 250,000 people had been impacted by the flash flood that began on Oct. 4 following very heavy rainfall inside Bangladesh and its adjacent bordering northeastern Indian areas.

Ommey Salma Tanzia, a senior Mymensingh division official, told journalists that Sherpur emerged as the worst-hit area with thousands of families still in shelters though the overall flood situation improved in the district.

Some of the areas in the bordering district are still reportedly cut off from road communications, requiring army assistance to take relief to the far-off affected areas.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Center in its daily flood bulletin issued on Monday afternoon showed that the local Jinjiram River was flowing 92 cm above the danger mark, while the Someswari river flowed 10 cm above the danger mark.

The authorities have sent teams of disaster response forces to carry out rescue operations, distribute relief materials and supervise centers where the flood-affected people have taken shelter.

Earlier floods in August caused 144.21 billion taka (about 1.19 billion U.S. dollars) in damage to agriculture, infrastructure and other sectors in Bangladesh’s eastern region.

At least 5.6 million people have been affected by severe floods in southeastern Bangladesh, including over 2 million children. More than 52 deaths have been reported due to the floods.

-Xinhua