TE24 International Desk:
DHAKA, ASAM – At least 25 people have been killed in lightning strikes or landslides in Bangladesh over the weekend, while the worst floods in the country’s recent history have left millions homeless in the low-lying northeast. , Authorities said.
In the neighboring Indian state of Assam, at least 17 people have been killed in flash floods that began this month, police authorities said Sunday (June 19th).
Many rivers in Bangladesh have risen to dangerous levels and the situation has worsened due to heavy rains from the Indian hills, said Mr Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, head of the state-run Flood Forecasting and Warning Center.
Large numbers of police officers and armed forces personnel have been sent to different parts of the country to assist in the search and rescue efforts.
About 105,000 people have been evacuated so far, but police authorities estimate that more than 4,000,000 are still trapped.
Mr Syed Rafiqul Haque, a former MLA and party official in the Sunamganj region, said the country would face a humanitarian crisis if proper rescue operations were not carried out.
“Virtually the entire Sylhet-Sunamganj belt has been submerged and many people have been abandoned,” he said, adding that the victims had no food or drinking water and the communication network was cut off.
Regional authorities say about 3.1 million people have been evacuated, including 200,000 living in government-run temporary shelters on high embankments or other highlands.
Bangladesh and India have experienced extreme weather in recent years, causing extensive damage.
Environmentalists warn that climate change could lead to further disasters, especially in low-lying and densely populated Bangladesh.
