Death toll from floods in Bangladesh crosses 100 in two weeks

Special Correspondent
More than 100 people have died from drowning, snakebite or water-borne diseases during two weeks of floods throughout Bangladesh.
Over 3 million people have been hit by floods in 28 districts and more than 11,500 have been affected by diarrhoea and other diseases as water has started to recede, according to the ministries of health, disaster management and relief.
The health ministry has assigned about 2,500 medical teams after flagging 70 of the flood-hit Upazilas as “affected”.
Dr Ayesha Akter, an assistant director at the Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room of the health ministry, told bdnews24.com on Wednesday that 101 people have died in these areas since July 10 from flood-related reasons.
Jamalpur saw the highest number of deaths – 33. The death toll is 16 in Netrakona, 17 in Gaibandha, seven in Tnagail, five in Sunamganj and Kurigram each, four in Bogura and Lalmonirhat each, two each in Nilphamari, Sherpur, Sirajganj and Brahmanbaria, and one each in Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar and Faridpur.
Out of the deceased, 83 have drowned, seven died after being hit by lightning strike, eight died from snake bite, one from infection in breathing system, and two from other reasons.
A total of 1,295 people have been affected by different diseases in the past 24 hours and seven of them have died.
Md Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, executive engineer at the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of the Water Development Board, said the situation may worsen in Sylhet and Sunamganj in the next 24 hours and remain unchanged elsewhere.
The Met offices of Bangladesh and India have forecast heavy rains in north and north-eastern areas, India’s Assam, West Bengal, and Meghalaya.
Water was still flowing above the danger level at 18 of the 93 points being observed by the warning Bangladesh experienced the deadliest floods in decades in 2017, when the untimely rise in water levels affected about 10 million people and damaged crops on swathes of fields in the Haor or backswamp regions.
The death toll from drowning and other flood-related reasons reached 140 that year, though the spread of the floods were lesser than those of 1988 and 1998.
Deterioration forecast in Northern districts
Major rivers crossed danger marks at 18 more points across the country, according to a bulletin of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) issued on Wednesday.
Water levels at 46 river stations monitored by Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) have marked rise while 43 stations recorded fall.
The Brahmaputro, Dharla, Teesta, Ghaghot and Surma-Kushiyara rivers are in rising trend, while the Ganges-Padma rivers are in falling trend, the FFWC bulletin said adding The Brahmaputra and Surma Kushiyara rivers may continue rising, while the Ganges-Padma Rivers may continue falling in next 24 hours.
The Jamuna river may remain steady in the next 24 hours.
Flood situation in Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra, Tangail, Serajganj, Manikganj, Rajbari, Faridpur and Munshiganj districts may remain unchanged, while flood situation in Sylhet and Sunamganj may deteriorate to some extent.
Among the 93 monitored stations, water level at four river stations have been registered steady, the bulletin added.
The Surma at Kanaighat, Sylhet and Sunamganj, the Kushiyara at Amalshid, Sheola and Sherpur- Sylhet, the Titas at B.Baria, the Meghna at Chandpur, the Dharla at Kurigram, the Ghagot at Gaibandha, the Brahmaputra at Chilmari, the Jamuna at Fulchari, Bahadurabad, Sariakandi, Kazipur, the Atrai at Baghabari, the Dhaleswari at Elasin, the Padma at Goalundo are flowing above danger level 83cm, 8cm, 45cm, 13cm, 28cm, 28cm, 20cm, 5cm, 41cm, 18cm, 22cm, 33cm, 35cm, 13cm, 9cm, 40cm, 54cm and 18cm respectively.