Heavy rain under the influence of a low pressure in the Bay of Bengal created flood-like situation in many parts of southern and western Odisha, disrupting communication links and throwing normal life out of gear.
Koraput district was the worst-affected as it received a rainfall of 1816 mm in the last 24 hours. Koraput town alone received the maximum of 205 mm rainfall during this period, official sources said.
District Emergency Officer Santosh Satpathy said a person identified as Shiva Shankar Sahu was swept away to death by floods while crossing a bridge on the road between Semliguda to Petakana. Another person named Rabindra Mallick, who had gone fishing in the Kolab reservoir, is missing, he added.
Communication between Semiliguda and Nandapur and from there to Padua in the district was paralysed as rainwater overflowed the culverts on the roads connecting these places.
In the morning, rainwater entered the labour room of the sub-divisional hospital at Jeypore spreading a scare among the patients.
Due to landslide caused by heavy rain, rail services between Koraput and Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam came to a halt as mud and huge boulders have come rolling down on the tracks at Dumuriput, 13km away from Koraput.
Mud has piled up on the railway tracks near Machhkund. All trains on this route have been cancelled.
Kalahandi district was no exception. Heavy rain has continued to batter the district since Tuesday night.
Flood water was flowing above the bridge on river Hati near Junagadh on the National Highway 26, considered the lifeline of the district. Flood waters have inundated several villages in Koksara, Dharamgarh and Junagarh blocks of the district while acres of farm land remain under water in these blocks.
With Rajamund dam being swept away, 500 acres of farm land have been inundated while floods have entered homes in Talagaon and Kantharpada.
Flood affected people have been shifted to school buildings for safety. Road connectivity between Junagadh and Koksara was cut off with floods in Munda river near Chilaguda. Similarly, connectivity between Dharmagarh and Junagadh severed as flood water was flowing in the Haler nullah.
Five villages of Biripur, Matikhala, Dampada, Balichada and Karmeli under Kalampur block remain water-logged. Fire brigade personnel are rescuing villagers trapped in their houses in these villages. At least 2,000 people have taken shelter at the Kalampur school building.
In Nabarangpur district, flood water was flowing three feet above the bridge at Dabugan in Umarkote area affecting traffic movement on the Umarkote-Jeypore road.
Communication was paralysed between Umarkote and Raighar as flood water was flowing over the bridge at Parua.
Similarly, incessant rain has caused floods in some places in southern Odisha.
Small and large rivers, including the Vanshadhara, were in spate. Vansadhara was flowing above the danger level at Kashinagar in Gajapati district.