DHAKA, July 19: The flood situation in Bangladesh took a serious turn on Sunday night as water levels rose alarmingly after more rain. Swollen rivers inundated low-lying areas around Dhaka and forced the closure of Sylhet's airport
, the third largest in the country, after floodwaters swamped the runway. Sylhet's road links with the rest of the country were also cut off.
Around 80 per cent area of the town, 300kms northeast of Dhaka, fell into darkness as two of the three power sub-stations went under water. Sylhet's mayor and his family had to take shelter in a guesthouse as his house was flooded.
The administration has sought assistance from the armed forces to rescue the victims and manage relief operations. The army has already started rescue operation in Kishoreganj district and is carrying out repairs on a damaged embankment in Bogra.
"Standing crops on a million hectares of land and innumerable houses in 165 upazilas (sub-district) of 33 districts of the country were either badly damaged or washed away," an official account said.
Unofficial accounts suggest more than 100 people have died in the devastating floods. Agencies add: Officials said they feared a recurrence of the 1998 floods that killed more than 3,500 people and submerged two-thirds of Bangladesh.
"We all are in knee-to-waist deep water. The situation is very bad and it is likely to worsen further if heavy downpours continue," said a police official in Manikganj town, 75kms west of Dhaka.
INDIA: At least 35 people died in West Bengal when a bus skidded off a road in heavy rains and plunged into a ditch filled with rain water. An official said "most of the rivers are overflowing and fast changing course, submerging large areas of human population".
