dpa
Dhaka
More than 50 people have been killed due to extensive flooding that lasted for more than a week and wreaked havoc on the livelihoods of millions of people in eastern Bangladesh.
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief on Thursday confirmed that the flooding left 52 people dead and nearly 5.5 million people affected in 11 districts.
Days of heavy rains and a surge of water flowing down from upstream hilly areas caused local rivers to burst their banks, leading to widespread devastation. Volunteers and government teams have been struggling to reach remote villages to distribute relief materials among the victims despite the floodwaters having significantly receded in the affected areas, officials said.
The flooding caused widespread damage to road networks, homes, businesses, croplands, fisheries and many public and private establishments in the area, they said, adding that the local administration was trying to assess the extent of damage.
The government said the rehabilitation of those affected by the floods will begin once the water recedes completely. It asked all departments concerned to take necessary steps to avoid waterborne diseases in the aftermath of the floods.
“The flood situation will continue to improve,” meteorologist Abdur Rahman Khan said.
