Kolkata, July 7 (PTI): The floods in West Bengal's West and East Midnapore districts worsened today due to a rise in the level of major rivers following heavy rains and discharge from reservoirs, even as the death toll in the area rose to 27.

The floods have affected nearly 42.73 lakh people in eight districts in the state.

Army personnel were rescuing people at Ghatal and Sabong and IAF helicopters made sorties at Sankrail and Keshiary, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacahrjee told a press conference in Midnapore after touring flood-hit areas and declaring the entire district flood-affected.

He said nearly 25,000 marooned people had been shifted to safer places.

"All measures will be taken now that the district has been declared flood-hit," he said.

The state government had requisitioned 12 army speedboats and three IAF helicopters for rescue and relief operations in the blocks of Sabong, Ghatal, Pingla, Sankrail, Daspur, Dantan, Keshiary, Narfayangarh, Mohanpur and Jamboni.

Admitting that the affected people were not getting timely relief, particularly dry food and tarpaulin sheets, he said he had instructed officials to procure foodgrains and other relief materials from the local market. He also said more funds would be provided to tackle the floods.

Chief Secretary A K Deb said in Kolkata that an IAF team from Kalaikunda airbase dropped food packets at Jamboni and Sankrail during the day.