Twelve more die in Bangladesh floods

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Heavy monsoon rains triggered new flooding in northern and central Bangladesh, killing a dozen more people, while tornados swept through a flooded north-eastern district, injuring dozens and flattening hundreds of houses, officials and news reports said yesterday.

With the latest deaths reported on Friday and Saturday, the death toll from monsoon flooding in Bangladesh since June rose to 105, according to media tallies. The toll could not be officially confirmed.Floods since the start of monsoon in late June have inundated nearly half of Bangladesh, leaving more than five million people marooned in their houses.Many have taken shelter on embankments or in school buildings.Six people were reported drowned Friday and Saturday in central Jamalpur district, while six others – including a woman and a child – drowned in northern Kurigram, the Ittefaq newspaper said.The flooding was likely to worsen in central areas over the next few days, as floodwaters drain into the Bay of Bengal to the country’s south, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said.A tornado, meanwhile, lashed four villages yesterday in flood-hit Sunamganj district, flattening nearly 250 mud and tin houses and injuring nearly 50 people with flying debris, a local administrator said on condition of anonymity.Another twister hit six villages in the same district on Saturday, levelling 300 houses and injuring about 50, the official said.Shortages of clean water and fresh food have caused outbreaks of diarrhoea in many inundated areas, news reports said, quoting local health officials.- Nampa-APThe toll could not be officially confirmed.Floods since the start of monsoon in late June have inundated nearly half of Bangladesh, leaving more than five million people marooned in their houses.Many have taken shelter on embankments or in school buildings.Six people were reported drowned Friday and Saturday in central Jamalpur district, while six others – including a woman and a child – drowned in northern Kurigram, the Ittefaq newspaper said.The flooding was likely to worsen in central areas over the next few days, as floodwaters drain into the Bay of Bengal to the country’s south, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said.A tornado, meanwhile, lashed four villages yesterday in flood-hit Sunamganj district, flattening nearly 250 mud and tin houses and injuring nearly 50 people with flying debris, a local administrator said on condition of anonymity.Another twister hit six villages in the same district on Saturday, levelling 300 houses and injuring about 50, the official said.Shortages of clean water and fresh food have caused outbreaks of diarrhoea in many inundated areas, news reports said, quoting local health officials.- Nampa-AP