Delhi, India – The death toll from devastating floods in the Indian state of Assam rose to 98 on Saturday. Some 155,000 people were affected across 13 districts, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. This figure comes from an official statement from the state’s disaster management authority.
Details of casualties and the most affected areas
The official bulletin stated that the latest recorded death was in the Mahmura Revenue Department of Charidio District. Floodwaters have affected 464 villages across 13 different districts in the state. Regarding the local population, a total of approximately 155,849 people have been affected. Golaghat District is by far the most severely affected, with approximately 58,750 people impacted. Moreover, Sivasagar District is the second most affected, with 48,286 people impacted. Jorhat District follows, with 25,259 people affected.
A slight decline and damage to the agricultural sector
This increase in the number of victims comes despite a slight decrease compared to last Thursday. On that day, more than 168,000 people were affected across 15 regions. In terms of economic and agricultural losses, the floodwaters inundated vast areas of farmland. The total area affected is approximately 10,748 hectares. Furthermore, more than 47,000 animals were damaged or killed. This has exacerbated the human and economic hardship in the area.
South Asian monsoon season
This disaster is yet another chapter in the annual suffering endured by South Asian countries, particularly India and Pakistan, between June and September. Each year, the monsoon season brings devastating floods and landslides. As a result, there is widespread and devastating loss of life and property.
