Flooding in India leaves dozens dead

22 Aug, 2011

Dozens of people have died and tens of thousands have been displaced in India's West Bengal state due to heavy rains that have overwhelmed rivers and flooded 15 districts.
The state government says at least 11 people have died since Friday from flood-related causes, including drowning and injury from collapsed homes. A total of 47 people have died in such accidents since the monsoon season began weeks ago in the eastern Indian state.
The government said in a statement Saturday that rivers were still flowing at extremely dangerous levels after local dams were forced to release some of their catchment.
More than 67,000 people are sheltering in 413 relief camps. Vast swaths of farmland have been inundated.

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