Death toll climbs to 65 as Bangladesh assesses extent of floods

DHAKA (AFP) Jul 07, 2003
Five children drowned as water submerged more of Bangladesh, reports said Monday, but officials said the country was largely equipped to handle the floods that ravage the deltaic country each year.

The mass-circulation Daily Ittefaq said five children drowned Saturday around Bangladesh, where at least 14 of 64 districts have been hit with floods spreading from the north towards the Bay of Bengal.

The deaths bring the unofficial death toll since rains started hammering Bangladesh in May to 65, with most killed in landslides in the southeastern hill tracts last week.

Tens of thousands of people are believed to have been marooned or moved to safer places.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia held emergency talks on the floods late Sunday and asked officials to step up monitoring of the situation.

Aides told her there was adequate aid, including food, in stock to handle the annual calamity.

"The situation is under control and not serious," one official said.

Another official, from the disaster ministry, told AFP that reports on the flood situation would be ready within a few days.

"We have started monitoring the situation from today and sent out letters to different districts to give an assessment report," the official said.

Witnesses said areas around the capital Dhaka were hit by new floods as gushing waters pushed up the levels of the Shitalakhya, Balu and Buriganga rivers.

Experts warned the situation could worsen as monsoon rains are expected to become even heavier later this month.

According to a government meteorological forecast, rain will be at least 20 percent heavier in July than normal for the month, with two areas of low pressure over the Bay of Bengal flooding more of the country.

Bangladesh's four-month full monsoon starts this month when the average monthly rainfall varies from 1,194 to 3,454 millimetres (48 to 138 inches).

In 1988, three months of sustained flooding left several hundred people dead and caused millions of dollars in damage, prompting a global call to help Bangladesh develop a long-term flood-protection system.

But in 1998 Bangladesh was again ravaged, this time by the worst flood in a century, leaving millions homeless and causing massive damage.

In neighbouring India, floods have also displaced nearly a million people, mainly in the northeast neighbouring Bangladesh.

TERRA.WIRE