Patna: Five government doctors and six paramedical staff have been suspended for refusing to work in flood affected areas of Bihar, officials said Tuesday.

Muzaffarpur district officials said a team of doctors along with paramedical staff was scheduled to go to flood hit areas Monday but none of them showed up. When an official was sent to call them, they were found missing.

Civil surgeon Biltu Paswan ordered the cancellation of the doctors' contracts and suspension of the paramedics.

Authorities have evacuated 971,000 people to safe places till date. Around 279,000 people have taken shelter in over 300 relief camps in flood-affected areas, according to officials.

There were still pockets where close to 30,000 people had taken shelter on the rooftops of their homes but remained reluctant to move to relief camps, an official said. Personnel from the armed forces and government agencies were trying to convince them to move to safer places.

According to the water resources department, the Kosi continued its receding trend.

The floods caused by a change in the river's course have been the worst in over 50 years. At least 50 people have died, according to official estimates. However, voluntary agencies fear the number could be in thousands once bodies are recovered.

Over 2.5 million people and nearly one million cattle have been affected. About 100,000 hectares of farmland have been submerged and nearly 300,000 houses damaged.