Flooding in India gets aid response from government

The Tokyo News.Net
Thursday 28th August, 2008

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has labelled widespread flooding in his country's north-east is a national calamity.

Mr Singh announced a relief package of $265 million and 125,000 tonnes of grain for those affected when a monsoon-swollen river changed course, flooding huge swathes of the country's impoverished Bihar state.

The Kosi River broke its banks 10 days ago and flooding has left 2 million people homeless and 1 million stranded.

The army and air force are struggling to reach people in need of food and medicine.

Mr Singh announced the aid package after touring the region by helicopter and said if the area needed more aid it would get it.

On Thursday the reported death toll from the flooding was 46, but officials say with so many people still stranded the number is expected to climb.

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