Odisha flash floods have claimed two lives in the last 24 hours. The two deaths were from Koratpur district on Thursday. Although rescue operations are on the move, the flash flood has reportedly affected about 25,000 people in the state.
The New Indian Express reports that, Siba Sankar Sahu, a 40-year-old man died after being carried away in a nullah in Sumiliguda while the other person from the district has been missing.
District Emergency Officer, Satpathy told the Odisha Sun TImes that Rabindra Mallick, who had gone fishing in the Kolab reservoir, has gone missing.
For rescue and relief work, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has deployed the forces from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force that is stationed at Jharsuguda and Bhawanipatna.
The low-pressure torrential downpour caused the flash-flood conditions in southern and interior districts of Odisha and affected road connectivity to parts of Kalahandi, Koraput, Gajapati and Nabarangpur.
Odisha Sun Times reports that with a rainfall of 1816mm in the last 24 hours, Koraput district is the worst affected by floods. The district headquarters town of Koraput received the maximum of 205mm rainfall during this period.
The New Indian Express reports that the Hati river showed a rising trend in Kalahandi district, which received over 164mm rain in the last 24 hours. The river and its tributaries flooded villages in Kalampur, Jaipatna and Junagarh blocks. Low lying areas of Balichada, Biripur and Matigaon villages under Kalampur were submerged and people had to be evacuated.
According to the State Government sources, the Nabarangpur town faced water-logging after the district averaged 160 mm rain in the 24 hours.
Road transportation was affected several pockets as flood water was flowing three feet above the bridge at Dabugan in Umarkote.
Heavy rains have led to severe water-logging with water even entering the government hospital in Jeypore town.
Sources in the Flood Control Centre told the newspaper that Banshadhara river was flowing at 54.35 metres that is above the danger level against 53.60 metres at Kashinagar as well as Gunupur.