Patna: The flood situation in Bihar aggravated further today (Jul 12, 2004) with swollen rivers inundating fresh areas in the State hitting about 60 lakh people in 11 districts as 25 people were reported to have lost their lives so far, official sources said.

Darbhanga, Sitamarhi and Sheohar were cut off from the rest of the State with menacingly rising rivers submerging fresh areas in these three districts and also Muzaffarpur and East and West Champaran districts, official sources said.

Train services on Samastipur-Darbhanga, Samastipur-Jhanjharpur, Samastipur-Narkatiaganj, Saharsa-Forbesganj, Jhanjharpur and Nirmali remained paralysed Divisional Railway Manager (Samastipur) V K Bahmami said.

A Darbhanga report said floodwater had entered almost all the wards of the North Bihar town, which were under knee to waist deep water. The airstrip of the Indian Air Force was also submerged.

The Army continued to assist the local administration in reaching relief and evacuating those marooned. Three Army choppers have been pressed into service and two more were expected to join in relief and rescue efforts later today.

Three columns of the Army, each comprising around 60 men and eight motor boats, are already engaged in evacuating people to safer places and providing relief and five more are scheduled to arrive today.

The flood-hit districts are Sitamarhi, Sheohar, East Champaran, West Champaran, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Araria, Katihar, Khagaria, Supaul and Banka.

The details of the death toll were yet to be known.

Road link between Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi and Sheohar, Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga and Darbhanga and Samastipur have also been snapped with floodwater either overtopping the roads or washing them away.

According to a Central Water Commission report, most major North Bihar rivers were rising alarmingly and crossed the danger level at several places.

While the Bagmati was flowing above the danger mark at Benibad, Kosi was above the red level at Basua and Baltara. Gandak was flowing above the danger level at Khadda, the Burhi Gandak at Lalbagiaghat, Samastipur and Rosera, the Adhwara at Ekmighat, Kamla Balan at Jhanjharpur and the Mahananda at Dhengraghat and Jhaba, the report said.