PATNA: Incessant rain and knee and waist deep waterlogging continued for the third consecutive day on Sunday leaving over 2.5 lakh Patna residents miserable.
At least 18 people including three women and a minor baby have lost their lives in different parts of the state.
On Sunday morning, three persons were killed and six others feared trapped when a wall of an old temple caved-in on them at Hanumanghat under Barari PS limits in Bhagalpur district when they had gone to the Ganga ghat to take holy dips to fulfil Navratari rituals.
Braving heavy rains, an NDRF team and local police have started rescue operations to save the trapped persons.
On Saturday, three women and one minor girl baby were killed in Khagaul when a tree fell down on the autorickshaw in which they were travelling.
According to other reports reaching here, four others died in Kaimur and Gaya districts of the state in two separate incidents.
While two persons died after a mudhouse caved in on them in Kaimur, two other locals from Gaya district lost their lives after their collapsed.
The worst affected districts of the state are Bhagalpur, Patna, Motihari, Katihar, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali districts where rainfalls have surpassed all its previous records in the last three days.
In Patna, almost all colonies including the VIP areas in which the residences of deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and others are located, have submerged in the waist and knee-deep rainwater has accumulated.
The premises of Bihar's second-largest hospital, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, are also flooded with water. The patients have been shifted to PMCH and other safer places.
The ceaseless raining has aggravated the miseries of Patnaities to such an extent that 60 per cent of Patna's total population faced a shortage of drinking water after their water tanks went dry due to unavailability of power.
Meanwhile, the state disaster management department following the weather forecast of severe rainfalls till September 30, has sounded a red alert and issued an advisory to the public to not venture out for the next 72 hours.
Apart from Patna, heavy rainfalls had brought a flash-flood like situation in 23 other districts wherein the state government has sent over 1047 boats and started 203 community kitchens for providing meals to over 5 lakh affected residents. By Sunday, 14 teams of NDRF and SDRF have been pressed into action in Patna and other districts which are facing flood-like situation due to heavy rains on an alarming scale.
Official sources said that vehicular movements on 40 roads including four NHs has been affected badly since Thursday with heavy rain leaving several roads battered.
On Sunday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held another meeting with officials to take stock of the situation. Post-meeting, the CM told the media that the state government has been working round the clock. The next 48 hours, according to the weather forecast, are very crucial, Sumar further added.
"All necessary steps have been taken to provide relief and rescue the affected people."
The Patna junction and many other stations of East Central Railway continued water-logged on the railway tracks. The East Coast Railways has also suspended some of the train services.
Official sources said that more than two dozens of trains have been affected in rain and 10 of them, mostly passenger trains, were cancelled.
Over 16 lakh population affected
Approximately 16 lakh people, including 2.5 lakh in Patna alone, have been badly affected by the flash floods and heavy waterlogging caused by incessant rain for the last three days in Bihar.
The disaster management department has set up helplines in each of the 24 affected districts in order to provide round-the-clock assistance and rescue to stranded people.
According to official figures displayed on the website of disaster management department till, September 28, 1047 boats have been pressed into action for ferrying out affected people to safer places.
A total of 203 community kitchens have been set up across the state. Around 32 teams of both NDRF and SDRF have been pressed into operation rescue and relief.