Over 3.3 million marooned in floods; death toll rises to 107

The death toll from floods in the northern and northeastern regions of Bangladesh has risen to 107, according to the Directorate General of Health Services or DGHS.

The number of people affected by the flooding in 22 districts crossed 3.3 million, the Department of Disaster Management said on Wednesday.

The second bout of floods this monsoon is spreading to the central districts now.

Disaster management department's control room official Naznin Shamima told bdnews24.com at least 870,000 families were affected by the inundation. She cited data gathered from field officials until 5pm to give the figure.

Dinajpur is the most affected district. All 13 Upazilas in the northern district are under water now.

The other districts hit by the floods include Kurhigram, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrakona, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Bogra, Sirajganj, Khagrhachharhi, Jamalpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Mymensingh, Brahmanbarhia, Rajbarhi, Naogaon, Joypurhat, Jessore and Rangamati.

After the northern rivers swelled for weeks, the water of the rivers in the Ganges-Padma basin started to subside on Wednesday.

In a news conference, DGHS Director General Abul Kalam Azad said 24 deaths were reported in past 48 hours.  

Drowning accounted for most of the 107 deaths - 92. The other deaths occurred due to snake bite, lightening and other reasons.

Jamalpur district has suffered the highest 24 deaths. The DGHS has information of 23 deaths in Sirajganj, 19 in Kurhigram, 11 in Gaibandha, seven in Dinajpur, six in Lalmonirhat, five in Nilphamari and three in Cox's Bazar districts.

The DGHS chief said 1,824 medical teams are working in 21 flood-hit districts.

"We took preparations last month. All holidays have been cancelled in the inundated areas. We have had sufficient medicine. There is no crisis," Azad said.

The DGHS has counted the deaths since July.