Incessant rain claims 11 lives in MP

Bhopal: As many as 11 people have died due to flood in Madhya Pradesh in the last couple of days as heavy rains continued to lash large parts of the state with Army shifted over 400 deluge-hit people in Satna district to safer places. "Eight people have died due to flood and excessive rainfall in the last three-four days in the state," Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters here today. Two persons have died in Bhopal, one each in Tikamgarh, Rewa, Jhabua, Betul, Raisen and Panna, he said. "One more death was reported around this noon when Sourabh Katiyar (21) was washed away in a swollen nullah near Shahpur lake here while travelling on a motorcycle. His body has been recovered," a police official said. Earlier, one person died each in Mandla and Singrauli districts yesterday after they were washed out in flooded nullah. The CM said Narmada river was flowing above the danger mark in Hoshangabad. "Any one in distress, can dial 1079 for help," he said adding officials have been instructed to swiftly act in case of flooding. Chouhan said he has postponed the scheduled meeting with his cabinet colleagues at Halali dam near here tomorrow and asked ministers to rush to their respective districts and remain there to monitor the situation and help out people in distress. "Food packets have been sent to Bhopal. To deal with any untoward incident, NDRF team is also present there. In these circumstances we are trying to provide relief and rescue measures so that people may not suffer," the CM added. Meanwhile, the Army has shifted over 400 deluge-hit people in Raghuraj tehsil of Satna district to relief camps, while the district administration has made arrangements for rehabilitating nearly 300 persons affected by swollen Tamas, Sone and Mandakini rivers. "Army has shifted 400 flood affected persons to relief camps in Raghuraj Nagar tehsil of Satna district yesterday," an official of Public Relation department said today.