IAF helicopters start rescuing marooned children in Assam

Indian villager fish as a truck approaches on the National Highway-31 in the village of Deuduar some 40 km east of Guwahati yesterday. The death toll from floods submerging eastern India reached 78 as five more people died in the northeastern state of Assam when two boats carrying families capsized in the region's central Kamrup District. PHOTO: AFP

At least 133 people have been swept away, drowned, crushed under collapsing homes or killed in landslides so far in this year's monsoon rains. Tens of thousands have been left homeless or stranded by the rain-induced floods.

In Assam, 350 children scrambled to the roof of their school as flood waters rose on Friday, said local administrator Samir Sinha.

The flooding was caused by a breach in a river embankment, Sinha said.

He said soldiers were unable to reach the school because of strong currents, and two Air Force helicopters carried out the rescue.

The children were then taken to a college campus in a dry area, Sinha said.

"The situation is very bad. The highway connecting Assam with the rest of India is covered in water at several places," he said.

"Thousands of trucks and vehicles are stranded."

The Army opened relief camps at several places, where villagers were streaming in, he said.