Indian villagers in Bihar desperate as floods spread

(August 30, 2008) A boat carrying dozens of flood victims overturned in eastern India, killing at least 20 people and raising to 85 the death toll while hunger and disease stalked the worst-ever floods in 50 years. Authorities said the overcrowded army boat capsized in strong river current and 10 more villagers were still missing. The Kosi River burst a dam in neighbouring Nepal earlier this month and surged into Bihar, swamping village after village as authorities failed to evacuate millions in time. Villagers were eating uncooked rice and flour mixed with polluted water, officials said on Friday as the rising river waters smashed embankments and flooded vast areas in the state. More than two million people in distant villages in Bihar have been displaced and around a quarter of a million houses have been destroyed. Many have no means of cooking food. Floods have killed more than 1,000 people in South Asia since the monsoon began in June. Water levels continued to rise amid heavy rains. The water could stay for around three months, increasing the risk of water-borne diseases.