Patna, July 24: Close to one million people have been affected by floods in Bihar, the state government said on Friday. Floodwaters have wreaked havoc in ten districts of Bihar, affecting 9,60,831 people. At least 12,023 people are currently staying in shelter homes as their houses were inundated in floods caused after torrential rain in the Terai regions of Bihar and Nepal. As many as 22 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed for flood rescue operations. Floods In India: 2.4 Million Children Affected By Recent Flood Fury, Says UNICEF.

Ten people have lost their lives in flood-related incidents in Bihar. The rising water level has affected 529 panchayats in the 10 districts of Sitamarhi, Shivhar, Supaul, Kishanganj, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, West Champaran, Khagaria and East Champaran. After the floodwaters reached near a rail bridge between flood-affected Samastipur and Darbhanga, rail operations on the route have been stopped. Bihar Floods: Pregnant Woman Taken to Hospital on Makeshift Boat in Darbhanga, Video Goes Viral.

The water in several rivers, including the Bagmati, Ghaghra, Gandak, Budhi Gandak, is flowing above the danger mark. "The rescue operations are underway. In Bihar, the water flow depends on rains in Nepal's Terai region. The evacuation is selective in most places as the rural people decide when they should go to the camp, but they are persuaded to do so if the situation is severe," said NDRF Director-General (DG) SN Pradhan.

Tejashwi Yadav Slams Nitish Kumar:

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, during his visit to flood-affected areas in Darbhanga district on Wednesday, said that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was nowhere to be seen during the crisis in Bihar. "Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has become invisible. The situation has become worse in the state whether it is COVID-19, law and order or floods," Yadav told ANI.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 24, 2020 09:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).