The death toll from flooding in India's Assam state has reached 78, with around 332,000 residents affected, reports infohub.kz.
According to a report translated from Hindi News 18, three more people died in the Assam floods on Wednesday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 78.
The disaster has affected seven districts of the state: Sivasagar, Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon, Biswanath, and the Kamrup Metropolitan District. About 332,000 people have been impacted, with over 16,000 taking shelter in temporary relief camps.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, around 300,000 residents remain in the disaster zone. Flooding in Assam occurs almost annually during the monsoon season, but this year the water rose particularly quickly, inundating areas previously considered less vulnerable.
Heavy rains hit Assam and the neighboring state of Nagaland on July 19. As a result, the Dikhou, Disang, and Dhansiri rivers overflowed, flooding hundreds of settlements.
"In some parts of Upper Assam, water levels reached heights not seen in about 50 years," said Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.