Child washed away in floods

SHILLONG, JULY 28. A child was washed away and many houses were destroyed as swollen Umkhrah river inundated low-lying areas of the Meghalaya capital following incessant rains in the last two days, official sources said today.

The local MLA, Mr. A. L. Hek, however, said two persons, including the child, were washed away while about 500 houses destroyed in the flash floods.

Relief and rescue operations were in full swing for the flood- affected people while police were conducting search operation to recover the child's body, official sources said.

The sources said in Bishnupur locality of the city five houses were washed away by the heavy rain. The polo ground market, CRPF camp and polo football ground were all lying submerged. The district administration set up three camps for the flood victims. Mr. Hek, who undertook relief and rescue operations with local citizens along with officials, said more than 2000 people were rendered homeless in the calamity. ``Several kids have been saved from being washed away in the strong current as the rescuers acted in time,'' he said. According to the meteorological office sources here, 64 mm of rains were recorded in state capital in the last 24 hours, till this morning.

- PTI

Ganga flowing above danger level

PTI reports from Lucknow:

The mighty Ganga was flowing above the danger level in Ballia and posed a threat to low-lying areas in eastern Uttar Pradesh as moderate to heavy rains lashed most places in the state since yesterday. The river was 56 c.m. above the red mark at Ballia.

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