Patna/Guwahati: Bihar continued to reel under the impact of one of the worst floods in recent memory as death toll mounted to 41 today (July 14, 2004) with 11 more deaths reported from East Champaran and Darbhanga districts during the last 24 hours.

According to official sources, eight people lost their last evening when their boat capsized near Nakardeva in East Champaran district while crossing the turbulent Burhi Gandak.

In Darbhanga, three persons were drowned at Neuri village in Beraul block last night when the bamboo platform which they had erected to escape flood fury was swept away by strong currents.

While worst-hit Sitamarhi district accounted for the highest number of 18 deaths, seven deaths were reported from Sheohar, East Champaran (8), Darbhanga (3), Supaul and Madhepura (two each) and Saharsa (one).

Relief department sources said a population of 91.75 lakh was affected by the floods in 16 districts including Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Supaul, Saharsa, East Champaran West Champaran, Samastipur, Khagaria, Araria, Kishanganj, Bhagalpur, Siwan, Muzaffarpur, Madhepura, Katihar and Madhubani.

Even as flood water continued to spread into fresh areas, six IAF choppers and three Army columns each comprising around six men with eight motorboats were engaged in assisting the local authorities in carrying out relief and rescue operations.

A Muzaffarpur report said the water of swollen Burhi Gandak had entered the campus of Srikrishna Medical College and Hospital forcing the students living in the hostels to vacate.

Meanwhile, flood fury in Assam continued unabated today with the death toll mounting to 34 while the Brahmaputra and its tributaries rising alarmingly and flowing above the danger level throughout the State, official sources said in Guwahati today.

Five more flood related deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, taking the toll to 34, the sources said.

A woman and two infants lost their lives when a banana raft carrying them capsized at Monakuchi near Hajo in Kamrup district yesterday.

Two others died at Chirukandi-Ramnagar area of Silchar town when the Maruti van in which they were travelling fell into floodwater near National Highway 53. The police recovered the vehicle and found the duo dead inside.

More than 50 lakh population has been affected in the floods in the State and a total area of nearly seven lakh hectares was under water.

The current wave of floods, one of the worst in recent years, has affected more than 5,500 villages in 23 of the 26 districts of the state, damaged more than 4 lakh houses and affected nearly five lakh hectares of crop land.

Road communication on NH-31, NH-37 and NH-53 remained disrupted in several places due to overtopping while train services has been disrupted in the North Bank of the Brahmaputra due to flooding of tracks, the sources said.

The situation in districts of Nalbari, Barpeta, Sonitpur, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, Chirang, Baska and Kamrup remains grave with largescale devastation.