Bangladesh flood death toll rises to 70

Six more children have drowned in flood waters in Bangladesh, taking to 70 the death toll from the monsoon deluge which marooned more than a million people, officials said today.

The children died yesterday in the northern districts of Jamalpur and Gaibandha, two of the hardest-hit areas, said Government relief officials.

Monsoon rains have battered Bangladesh for more than a week, and many of the 70 people who have died have been children.

More than 20 of the country’s 64 districts have been flooded, with more than a million people marooned. Many villagers have lost rice crops, livestock and flimsy houses.

Flood waters also have submerged many wells, forcing victims to drink polluted water and causing fever and other illnesses.

The Disaster Management and Relief Ministry said it had ordered local officials to distribute food, water and medicines among the flood victims.

“The Government has taken adequate measures to deal with the flood situation,” the ministry said.

In some areas, troops have joined volunteers to fortify mud embankments breached or threatened by swollen rivers.

Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation of 130 million people, is buffeted by seasonal floods. The country has a huge network of embankments to protect villages and towns from flooding.