230 dead in Uttar Pradesh floods

The death toll in rain and flood-related cases in Uttar Pradesh Tuesday rose to 230, as the flood situation worsened with a new spell of rains, officials said.

The army was called in in Allahabad as an embankment was breached Monday and the waters of the surging Ganga and Yamuna entered many low lying localities in the Sangam city. More than 2.5 lakh people have been affected, officials told IANS.

The Ganga is flowing 2.5 metres above the danger mark. Flood companies of the provincial armed constabulary (PAC) have been rushed to Allahabad, Ballia, Mirzapur and Varanasi. Traffic was disrupted Tuesday due to floods on the road connecting Allahabad and Mirzapur.

In other parts of the state, Ghaghra, Sharda and other small rivers are in spate and have flooded many areas. The relief commissioner's office said 166 villages on the banks of the Ganga have been affected in the floods. Relief camps have been set up in Hamirpur, Barabanki and Varanasi.

State capital lucknow, parched for many days, finally received heavy rainfall Tuesday morning. The rains brought down the temperatures and gave some relief from the scorching sun and humidity. The weatherman has predicted more rains in the next few days.