7 of 10 SINKING; Philippines: 2 dead, 6 missing as floods inundated parts of Manila and nearby provinces! India: 18 die, 17 hurt as landslide hits bus! 1,136,436 affected by floods in Dhubri, Assam!

[Stanislav]

Philippines SINKING:

/ 2 dead, 6 missing in floods. Two people were killed and six others remained missing as floods inundated parts of Manila and nearby provinces while tropical storm “Ferdie” barreled through Northern Luzon yesterday. /

/ An active low-pressure area which later intensified into a tropical depression caused heavy flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said flashfloods occurred in Cainta, Morong, Taytay and Antipolo City in Rizal province; San Narciso in Zambales, and Bulan in Sorsogon. The floodwaters in Cainta, Antipolo City and Morong rose to about two feet. State weather forecasters said the active low-pressure area later intensified into a tropical depression, “Ferdie.” This also caused floods in Bulan but no evacuation was ordered, the NDRMMC said. Heavy rainfall also caused flashfloods in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat. The flood, triggered by the overflowing of the Allah River, affected 50 families. About 50 persons had been evacuated to the Isulan municipal gymnasium but were able to return to their homes after the floodwaters subsided. /

/ Also on Sunday, the Pampanga River Basin Flood Forecasting and Warning Center advised residents along the banks of the Pampanga River in Nueva Ecija, Bulacan and Pampanga to be alert for flashfloods due to high tide and swelling of rivers. High tide also caused water to rise in coastal villages of Hagonoy, Calumpit and Obando towns in Bulacan. /

/ Floods hit Bacolod villages. The continuous rain bolstered by the high tide Friday caused the water level to rise more or less by 2 1/2 feet. /

/ Flash floods hit Sultan Kudarat; 50 families evacuated. At least 50 families were evacuated from their homes after flash floods hit their neighborhood in Isulan in Sultan Kudarat province Wednesday night, officials said. Local disaster management authorities theorized the floods may have come from a nearby river in South Cotabato, since there had been no heavy rain recently. /

/ 3 killed as flooding hits Cotabato. Three people were killed as flooding caused by heavy rains hit south Cotabato yesterday afternoon, a senior government official said today. /

/ Authorities and rescue teams are on standby as the water level at the Marikina River continues to rise. The river’s water level reached 15.2 meters on Saturday afternoon, prompting the authorities to ring the first alarm. An evacuation of residents will be required once water level reaches 18.30 meters. Marikina Mayor Del de Guzman said the river has been “rising steadily” even though rains have stopped. Meanwhile, 5 barangays in San Juan were submerged in deep floods due to incessant rains. Barangays Balong-Bato and Salapan were hit by chest-deep floods, while Maytunas and Batis were submerged in waist-deep floods. Barangay San Perfecto, on the other hand, was inundated in knee-deep floods. /

/ Iloilo City flash floods force evacuation of 25 families. At least 25 families or around 125 persons were evacuated in Iloilo City on Sunday after heavy rains spawned flash floods in several areas. /

/ Floods submerge town in CamSur. About a hundred homes have been hit by rising floodwaters in Camarines Sur. Disaster officials said knee-deep floods brought by incessant rains since Saturday night hit Barangay San Roque in Bombon town. Even rice fields in that town were submerged in floodwaters as some parts of the Bicol River have already overflowed. /

/ Heavy rains brought by Tropical Depression “Ferdie” have caused dams to reach near spilling levels, the state weather bureau said Saturday. /

India TILTING & BACKWASHING:

/ 18 die, 17 hurt as landslide hits bus. At least 18 persons died and 17 were injured when a landslide from a roadside quarry hit a night bus at Keifang village in Champhai district of western Mizoram on the Indo-Myanmar border, about 100km from this capital town, last night. /

Assam floods -

/ Parts of Guwahati, Assam waterlogged after rain. A few hours of rain on Friday night has thrown life out of gear in many parts of the city once again. For the second time this monsoon, rain has submerged different parts of the city despite the administration's attempt to flush out the excess rain water from the submerged areas through pump sets. , Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Rajgarh Road, parts of Lachit Nagar and many bylanes remained under water on Saturday after rain lashed different parts of the city on Friday night. /

/ Over 11 lakh people hit by Dhubri floods. A total of 11,36,436 people belonging to 1,42,891 families of 872 villages in Dhubri district have been affected in the recent flood. Hatsingimari and Bilasipara subdivisions are the worst affected. Almost 58 per cent of the district’s population of 19,48,632 was hit hard in the recent wave of floods. /
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Philippines:

'Ferdie' slams northern Luzon, triggers flashfloods

A car hits the rear of a scooter on a flooded road in Bacoor, Cavite yesterday. An active low-pressure area which later intensified into a tropical depression caused heavy flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. MANNY MARCELO

Manila, Philippines - Classes were suspended in various parts of the country and several domestic flights were cancelled as an active low-pressure area east of northern Luzon spawned flashfloods, disaster management officials said yesterday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said flashfloods occurred in Cainta, Morong, Taytay and Antipolo City in Rizal province; San Narciso in Zambales, and Bulan in Sorsogon.

The floodwaters in Cainta, Antipolo City and Morong rose to about two feet.

State weather forecasters said the active low-pressure area later intensified into a tropical depression, “Ferdie.”

This also caused floods in Bulan but no evacuation was ordered, the NDRMMC said.

Heavy rainfall also caused flashfloods in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat. The flood, triggered by the overflowing of the Allah River, affected 50 families. About 50 persons had been evacuated to the Isulan municipal gymnasium but were able to return to their homes after the floodwaters subsided.

Storm warning signal number 1 was raised over Northern Luzon areas yesterday as the active low pressure area turned into a tropical depression.

Signal no. 1 was raised over Isabela, Kalinga, Abra, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Cagayan, including Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands, Batanes and Mountain Province as of 5 p.m. yesterday.

As of 4 p.m., the center of Ferdie was spotted at 130 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour near the center.

The storm was moving west northwest at 13 kph.

Nathaniel Servando of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the enhanced southwest monsoon will bring occasional rains (moderate to heavy) over Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, especially the western section including Metro Manila.

Ferdie is predicted to be 140 km north northwest of Laoag City this afternoon; 380 km west northwest of Laoag City tomorrow afternoon and 660 km west northwest of Laoag City by Monday afternoon.

The bad weather also caused a sea mishap in Palawan.

The NDRRMC said a motorized boat named Irish capsized last Wednesday at about 11 p.m. off Barangay Tinabog, San Rafael in Puerto Princesa City. The boat reportedly capsized due to rough seas and strong winds.

Five fishermen were on board the boat owned by a certain Gideon Baron.
Students wait for a ride in Cainta, Rizal after classes were suspended due to heavy rains yesterday. BOY SANTOS

All the fishermen were rescued by the Coast Guard at about 9:30 a.m. yesterday.

Coast Guard spokesman Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo identified the five rescued fishermen as Oscar Barnelio Lique, Jason Leonilo, Juling Almoraje, Bentot Bartolay, and Julan Bartolan Leonilo.

Meanwhile, a tornado hit Barangay Inararan in Bulan, Sorsogon and damaged four houses. One fishing boat was damaged due to the incident but no casualties were reported.

NDRRMC said classes in pre-school, elementary and high school, both public and private, were suspended in Antipolo, Angono, Cainta, Binangonan, Morong, Teresa and Rodriguez in Rizal; Cavite City, Noveleta, Rosario and Bacoor in Cavite; Parañaque, Pateros, Marikina, Pasay, Taguig, Manila and Malabon.

Afternoon classes in pre-school, elementary and high school were suspended by the local governments of Marikina and Malabon.

The local government units of Pasay, Pateros, Manila and Parañaque City suspended classes in all levels.

At least three flights were canceled because of the bad weather.

Canceled was a Cebu Pacific flight from Caticlan to Manila (5J892) and Air Philippines flights 2P015 and 2P015.

The NDRRMC has placed its personnel on “blue alert” for deployment in the event of an emergency situation. A blue alert places half of the disaster management personnel on standby.

Regional disaster management offices have been ordered to undertake precautionary measures and to initiate preemptive evacuation of families in low-lying and mountainous areas where needed. - Rainier Allan Ronda, Evelyn Macairan
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=829636&publicati...

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Rescue teams search for missing teener in Pampanga River

MANILA, Philippines — Two rescue teams from the police and military scoured the downstream sections of the Pampanga River in San Simon town on Sunday to retrieve the body of Noel Tuazon, who drowned on Saturday afternoon, at the height of tropical depression Ferdie.

Benjamin Santos, chief of the municipal disaster risk reduction and management council, said Tuazon, 15, jumped off a boat.

Tuazon and his classmates were traveling from Barangay San Nicolas to the San Pedro High School to practice for a dance number but he dove into the water as their boat was nearing the river bank, Santos said.

Also on Sunday, the Pampanga River Basin Flood Forecasting and Warning Center advised residents along the banks of the Pampanga River in Nueva Ecija, Bulacan and Pampanga to be alert for flashfloods due to high tide and swelling of rivers.

High tide also caused water to rise in coastal villages of Hagonoy, Calumpit and Obando towns in Bulacan.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Central Luzon said the Bustos Dam in Bulacan released a minimal volume of water, which did not cause flooding in nearby areas.

In Pangasinan, authorities on Sunday had to postpone search operations for four Bolinao fishermen who were reported missing on Friday.

The OCD in the Ilocos region had asked the Philippine Coast Guard to deploy helicopters but heavy rains made flights impossible on Sunday, said Ronald Talagtag of the OCD Ilocos operations center.

“No chopper would be coming from Metro Manila, which is experiencing heavy rains. We could not also use rescue boats because of strong waves,” he said.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/233737/rescue-teams-search-for-missing...

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Floods hit Bacolod villages

CONTINUOUS rains brought about by the low pressure area that developed into a tropical depression flooded some barangays in Bacolod City on Friday.

Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management officer Jomarie Vargas said the affected areas included Barangays 3, 4, 6, Pahanocoy, Sum-ag and Bata. No evacuation was announced as of Friday.

The continuous rain bolstered by the high tide Friday caused the water level to rise more or less by 2 1/2 feet.

Some portions of Lacson Streets, particularly 9th, 13th and 14th, also experienced flooding due to clogged drainage systems.

A team from BCDRRM monitored the city’s coastlines and river banks to ensure the safety of the people.

Vargas asked the residents to take the needed precautionary measures, in case the rains continue at night time.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/local-news/2012/07/21/floods-hit-...

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OCD: Flash floods hit Sultan Kudarat; 50 families evacuated
 
At least 50 families were evacuated from their homes after flash floods hit their neighborhood in Isulan in Sultan Kudarat province Wednesday night, officials said.
 
The Office of Civil Defense Region 12 said the floods hit at about 10 p.m. in the Purok Riverside area, radio dzBB's Roland Bola reported.
 
OCD-12 assistant regional director Jerome Barranco was quoted in the report as saying they have so far received no information of casualties.
 
Barranco said Philippine National Police and Philippine Army operatives helped bring the residents to safer ground.
 
The families were staying at the Isulan Municipal Gymnasium as of Thursday morning, the report said.
 
Local disaster management authorities theorized the floods may have come from a nearby river in South Cotabato, since there had been no heavy rain recently. — RSJ, GMA News

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/265942/news/regions/ocd-flash-...

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3 killed as flooding hits Cotabato

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Three people were killed as flooding caused by heavy rains hit south Cotabato yesterday afternoon, a senior government official said today.

Benito Ramos, National Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director, said search and rescue team recovered three dead bodies near Sapali River after the heavy rain.

The three victims, two of whom were teenagers, died in the flood, which occurred in Sapali River in T'Boli town at around 4 p.m., Ramos said.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=827804&publicati...

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Dams reach near spilling levels, open gates

MANILA, Philippines—Heavy rains brought by Tropical Depression “Ferdie” have caused dams to reach near spilling levels, the state weather bureau said Saturday.

Binga Dam in Benguet opened one gate at 0.5meter after its water level reached 574.12 meters, with a critical level of 575.00 meters, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

La Mesa Dam in Quezon City, with a critical level of 80.15 meters, has reached 79.18meters, while Ipo Dam in Bulacan has reached 99.78 meters, with a spilling level of 100.80

Meanwhile, Caliraya Dam in Quezon has reached 287.61 meters, with a spilling level of 288.00

Tropical depression “Ferdie” has slightly accelerated as it continues to traverse Balintang Channel, a small waterway that separates Babuyan Islands and Batanes province.

As of 7:00 a.m., it was seen 90 km north northwest of Laoag City, with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/232895/dams-reach-spilling-levels-open...

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Water in Marikina river continues to rise

MANILA, Philippines – Authorities and rescue teams are on standby as the water level at the Marikina River continues to rise.

The river’s water level reached 15.2 meters on Saturday afternoon, prompting the authorities to ring the first alarm.

An evacuation of residents will be required once water level reaches 18.30 meters.

Marikina Mayor Del de Guzman said the river has been “rising steadily” even though rains have stopped.

However, de Guzman noted that the increase has been steady compared to the rapid increase of 13.6 meters to 15 meters from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

De Guzman said rescue teams and barangay officials are continuously monitoring the water level and are on standby in case an evacuation is necessary.

“We are all on standby kung sakaling lumakas ang ulan pa. From 12 midnight naka-standby na ang rescue teams natin,” he told ANC.

The mayor added that residents have already been assigned specific evacuation centers to avoid panic in the event of flooding.

Meanwhile, 5 barangays in San Juan were submerged in deep floods due to incessant rains.

Barangays Balong-Bato and Salapan were hit by chest-deep floods, while Maytunas and Batis were submerged in waist-deep floods.

Barangay San Perfecto, on the other hand, was inundated in knee-deep floods.

Residents were not ordered to evacuate as local officials expect the floods to immediately subside. -- With a report from Henry Atuelan, dzMM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/07/21/12/water-marik...

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Iloilo City flash floods force evacuation of 25 families

ILOILO CITY—At least 25 families or around 125 persons were evacuated in Iloilo City on Sunday after heavy rains spawned flash floods in several areas.

The evacuees, all residents of Barangay (village) So-oc in Arevalo District, were transferred to the Arevalo gymnasium late in the afternoon due to flooding in the area, said Terry Gelego, social welfare officer of Arevalo District.

Gelego said there were no reported casualties but at least 592 families or around 2,960 persons were affected by the flooding.

Families who opted to remain in their homes were also given food and other assistance.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/233647/iloilo-city-flash-floods-force-...

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Floods submerge town in CamSur

MANILA, Philippines – About a hundred homes have been hit by rising floodwaters in Camarines Sur.

Disaster officials said knee-deep floods brought by incessant rains since Saturday night hit Barangay San Roque in Bombon town.

Even rice fields in that town were submerged in floodwaters as some parts of the Bicol River have already overflowed.

According to PAGASA- Hydrological Center, the river is already at 60% of its full capacity.

Authorities said they already warned residents for possible evacuation. – from a report by Jonathan Magistrado, ABS-CBN News Bicol

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/07/22/12/floods-submerge-...

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2 dead, 6 missing in floods

Manila, Philippines -  Two people were killed and six others remained missing as floods inundated parts of Manila and nearby provinces while tropical storm “Ferdie” barreled through Northern Luzon yesterday.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said rescuers were on standby to help residents evacuate if necessary as creeks and open sewers in Metro Manila overflowed from overnight rains, swamping nearby slums and causing traffic jams.

The rains began to ease by midday after plunging some areas in almost meter-deep waters, but OCD chief and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Benito Ramos said he could not rule out further flooding as runoff from nearby mountains descends into Manila Bay.

“All that rain up there would eventually find their way here,” Ramos said, referring to the mountains to the east of Manila.

“We have CCTV cameras to monitor the (Manila) rivers’ water levels, and we have 44 evacuation centers ready and stocked with food and other items by our local government units,” he said.

Army reservists would be called up to help should evacuation become necessary, Ramos said, while stressing there was no need for large-scale evacuations at the moment.

Local officials declared a school holiday as intense rains that Ramos said averaged 30 millimeters per hour swamped parts of Metro Manila and nearby areas.

Ramos said a still unidentified man drowned at a swollen creek in Naguilian, La Union while rescuers retrieved the body of Jonathan Sagodaquiel who fell into a river late Friday in Lumban, Laguna.

Four fishermen went missing in stormy waters off Bolinao, Pangasinan while two children were missing after being swept away in other rivers, he added.

In San Jose, Rodriguez, Rizal, a village riprap at Montalban Heights collapsed due to continuous rainfall. Nobody was injured and no property was destroyed because of the incident, Ramos said.

Even as Ferdie was moving away from the country’s northwest coast, Ramos warned heavy rains would still continue.

“While tropical depression Ferdie has slightly accelerated this movement while traversing Balintang Channel, residents living in low-lying and mountainous areas under public storm warning signal 1 are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides,” he said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said three provinces remain under signal number 1 as Ferdie left the country.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, PAGASA said the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Abra were under storm signal no. 1 where winds of 30 to 60 kilometers per hour were expected within the next 36 hours.

Ferdie was spotted to be at 240 kilometers west-northwest of Laoag City. It was reportedly moving with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center, in a west-northwest direction at 15 kph.

PAGASA forecaster Jun Galang said Ferdie was expected to be out of the country at around 9 p.m. yesterday and move toward Hong Kong.

“Even if tropical depression Ferdie would be out of PAR there would still be rains until Monday... since Ferdie enhanced the southwest monsoon,” Galang said.

“It would still be rainy, but the weather would improve and the rains would not be as bad compared to yesterday (Saturday),” he added.

State weather forecaster Gener Quitlong said the rainfall exceeded 40 millimeters in some areas of Metro Manila.

PAGASA placed 12 cities in Metro Manila under “red warning signal,” namely Parañaque, Taguig, Manila, Mandaluyong, Pasay, San Juan, Quezon City, Pasig, Marikina, Malabon, Navotas and Caloocan City due to the high amount of rainfall recorded in these areas.

“Red warning” is regarded as an emergency, meaning the rainfall observation must be 30 millimeters per hour or continuous rainfall for the past six hours exceeded 65 millimeters. Serious flooding is expected in these areas.

On the other hand, the Binga Dam in Bulacan released water as a precaution against a possible overflow, but other dams were still well below critical level, according to flood forecaster Jimmy Enriquez.

“Low-lying, flood-prone regions in (Manila and nearby provinces) are advised to take precaution. Usual high-risk areas to flood are advised to evacuate residents,” the NDRRMC said.

Malacañang, meanwhile, expressed hope that local governments would now be able to adequately respond to the needs of their constituents as heavy rains and flooding were reported in various parts of the country.

“We just want to, again, remind the people... it’s red warning in areas affected (by Ferdie),” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

Lacierda said local government units (LGUs) should take all necessary precautions and not just those that were used to flooding like Marikina City.

“The other LGUs hopefully would be able to respond appropriately,” he said.

Flooded streets

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said most of the streets in the metropolis that were flooded by heavy rains have already been cleared.

The MMDA said only the streets in Barangays Pio del Pilar, La Paz and San Antonio in Makati City remained impassable to light vehicles.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the streets in these barangays became flooded after the waterway Estero Tripa de Gallina overflowed.

The MMDA’s Flood Control and Information Center (FCIC) also reported Araneta Avenue in Quezon City, which was flooded to 48 centimeters after the Talayan Creek overflowed, was also cleared for traffic yesterday afternoon.

The FCIC also reported that the level of the Marikina River remained at 15 meters, near its breaching mark of 17 meters.

With the river water level reaching 15 meters, the Marikina City government has placed areas of the city near the riverbank under alert level 1 and has prepared residents for possible evacuation.

The FCIC said among the flooded streets under 48 centimeters were Singalong Street-Osmeña Extension in Manila, areas around the Manila City Hall, E. Rodriguez and Araneta Avenue in Quezon City, Quezon Avenue and Maria Clara Street in Manila, and Taft Avenue-Gil Puyat Avenue.

Also flooded were San Rafael, Boni Avenue, Nueve de Pebrero, San Francisco Street and the Maysilo Circle in Mandaluyong City.

In Quezon City, floods left the streets of Barangay Roxas, Barangay Socorro, Barangay Sta. Cruz, Barangay Apolonio Samson impassable to light vehicles. Also flooded were some portions of Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard in Manila.

The MMDA also reported gutter-deep flood at the Baclaran area in Parañaque, and North Avenue and Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City.

Traffic along EDSA also crawled after the P. Tuazon and Aurora tunnels got flooded up to 20 centimeters.

The heavy rains also caused massive traffic jams and flooding along España Boulevard, Taft Avenue and the Quiapo area in Manila, stalling thousands of passengers in the city’s main thoroughfares.

The stretch of Taft Avenue became impassable to light vehicles, stranding hundreds of commuters.

The Philippine Coast Guard, on the other hand, advised fishermen, particularly in the coastal towns of Northern Luzon, against sailing out even after PAGASA reported that the storm was already headed out of the country.

Despite reports that the weather disturbance was already leaving the country, Coast Guard spokesman Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo said fishermen should not be complacent and venture out since there would still be rough seas.

“It would not be safe for the fishermen on the western seaboard in Luzon. They should first wait for the weather and sea condition to improve,” Balilo said. – With Evelyn Macairan, Aurea Calica, Mike Frialde, Rey Galupo

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=830008&publicati...

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India:

18 die, 17 hurt as landslide hits bus

Aizawl, July 21: At least 18 persons died and 17 were injured when a landslide from a roadside quarry hit a night bus at Keifang village in Champhai district of western Mizoram on the Indo-Myanmar border, about 100km from this capital town, last night.

The bus, run by a Champhai-based private transport agency KZ Travels, was travelling from Champhai town to Aizawl. It had almost reached the end of this quarry around 1am when the boulders came crashing down, hitting the rear of the bus and pushing it over the deep gorge, survivors said.

Travellers along this road have often complained about the quarry, fearing landslides, but the authorities have failed to take action.

As news spread, people from nearby villages gathered at the site and started rescue work. At least five persons, a family of four (Dengthuama, 24, his wife Malsawmtluangi, 24, and their children Zothanmawia, 4, and Zomuanpuii, 3) and a man, escaped unhurt.

Seventeen persons died on the spot. They include the second driver, Johny Zonunmawia, 24, who was driving at that time, a medical representative from Silchar, Bablu Mazumdar, three members of a family, F. Rothangpuii, 70, Lalrammawia, 49, and Ramfangzauva, 49, from Champhai Vengthlang, Mizoram’s main trade hub along its border with Myanmar. The Young Mizo Association (YMA) arranged for a death certificate so that Mazumdar’s family could take his body back without delay.

Stephen Lalmuanpuia, 10, son of Malsawma, the main driver, died soon after being taken to the nearby Saitual rural hospital. His aunt Lalparvuli, who was waiting for his body at the hospital, said the rescuers had told them that he could reply to questions when they reached him.

The 17 injured were brought to Aizawl civil hospital, seven of them in a serious condition.

Eric Biakduhzuala, 8, had a miraculous escape. He suffered a severe head injury but is said to be recovering. Eric said he was not asleep when the bus got hit, slid down a few meters and perched precariously on a mound of mud.

“The bus fell over. Everyone was shouting and screaming. The driver shouted and told me to get off the bus and get help,” Eric said, adding that he somehow managed to get out through the door near which he was seated. He said another man managed to get out of the bus with him.

The plucky boy crawled out and as he was trying to move up, some stones rolled down and hit him on the head. But he continued climbing and reached the top where some passengers of a Sumo, which had been ahead of the bus, were looking down. Just after that the loose earth gave way under the weight of the bus and the vehicle slid another 150 meters down the gorge.

Malsawma, 29, the main driver, said he was taking a nap, having handed over the steering wheel to the second driver, when a stone hit the roof of the bus, waking him up.

He said the bus went over the cliff after being hit by a massive landslide. “I remember it rolled three times. Then I lost consciousness. I came to when rescuers came to help us,” he said, while being given first aid at the civil hospital.

He is recuperating in hospital but has lost his son, who was returning to his school in Aizawl.

No one knows exactly how many people were in the bus when the accident occurred. Only 13 had bona fide tickets while the rest seem to have been picked up on the way.

Home minister R. Lalzirliana and transport minister P.C. Zoramsangliana, among other cabinet colleagues, and YMA leaders have rushed to the spot.

The state government has decided to order a magisterial probe into the accident. David L. Thangliana, deputy director of the state information and public relations department, told The Telegraph over phone that a notification regarding this would be issued.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120722/jsp/frontpage/story_15757852....

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Parts of Guwahati waterlogged after rain

GUWAHATI: A few hours of rain on Friday night has thrown life out of gear in many parts of the city once again. For the second time this monsoon, rain has submerged different parts of the city despite the administration's attempt to flush out the excess rain water from the submerged areas through pump sets. , Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Rajgarh Road, parts of Lachit Nagar and many bylanes remained under water on Saturday after rain lashed different parts of the city on Friday night.

A long stretch of Rajgarh Road, which connects Chandmari to Bhangagarh, was inundated by rain water. Commuters faced great difficulties due to the water logging. Taking advantage of the situation, the rickshaw pullers were charging more from people in the areas affected by artificial floods.

Poor desilting and cleaning work by the private firms, which were given the contract by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation, are responsible for the waterlogging, said locals.

"The district administration is yet to learn a lesson. Had the cleaning work of the drains been completed before monsoons arrived, the enormity of artificial flood could have been reduced. But, the cleaning work by the GMC gained momentum only after monsoons started," said Suren Kalita, a resident of Anil Nagar.

He criticized the government for failing to provide a mode of transport which can help the students and working men and women to reach their destinations.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Parts-of-Guwahati-...

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Over 11 lakh people hit by Dhubri floods

 GAURIPUR, July 21 – A total of 11,36,436 people belonging to 1,42,891 families of 872 villages in Dhubri district have been affected in the recent flood. Hatsingimari and Bilasipara subdivisions are the worst affected. Almost 58 per cent of the district’s population of 19,48,632 was hit hard in the recent wave of floods.

The district administration has got into action and started relief and rescue measures promptly with the subdivisional and district level officials. Relief camps were opened in institutions as well as raised platforms.

Altogether 178 relief camps were opened and 23,255.54 quintals of rice, 4446.57 quintals of masur dal, 1295.39 quintals of iodised salt, 231.50 quintals of chira, 5.30 quintals of gur, 2,84,354 metres of polythene sheets and 1,000 pieces of tarpouline were distributed. For the affected livestock population, a total of 8,100 quintals of wheat bran were distributed. The PHE department has installed 104 HTWs and repaired 156 HTWs and distributed 17,540 disinfectant packets among the flood-affected families.

The recent flood caused heavy damage to the agricultural sector and 84,835 hectares of crop area have been seriously affected and 42 heads of livestock were lost. As many as 93 roads were damaged and three RCC bridges and 21 embankments were reportedly damaged. The loss has been provisionally assessed at a little over Rs 120 crore, while the cost of GR, etc., provided by the authorities up to July 11 was Rs 13.50 crore.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=jul2212/state07

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[Andrey Eroshin]

18.07.12. Afghanistan: Flood Killed Four In Nangarhar
http://www.bakhtarnews.com.af/eng/social/item/3230-flood-killed-fou...

23.07.12. Nigeria: Flooding in Jos kills at least 35
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/07/flooding-in-jos-kills-at-least-35/

23.07.12. China: Almost 100 people killed in floods
http://in.reuters.com/video/2012/07/23/almost-100-people-killed-in-...