The ongoing flash floods that continued to sweep parts of Mymensingh division for the third day running on Sunday sent thousands of people to flood shelters opened by the government as the overall situation deteriorated amidst persistent very heavy rain and onrush of water from upstream.
Three more deaths have been confirmed due to the flooding and its related causes, including electrocution, taking the total death toll to six, while another body washed ashore in Sherpur is believed to have been carried along by the onrush of water from India.
At least 20,000 people have taken refuge in government shelters in Sherpur and Mymensingh districts with 1,25,240 more families remaining stranded, the daily disaster report released by the relief and disaster management ministry on Sunday afternoon revealed.
鈥楽herpur is no stranger to flash floods. But this one is unlike any other floods experienced in this area over the past three decades or so,鈥� said Torofdar Mahmudur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Sherpur.
Mahmud said that the ongoing flash flood rather stunned elderly locals who said that they did not see such a deluge in their lifetime.聽聽
The turbulent rivers fed with very heavy rain and onrush of water from upstream breached flood protection embankments in over half a dozen places in Sherpur and Mymensingh districts, sending waves of water towards the interior of the affected areas, inundating thousands of hectares of croplands.
Scores of fish farms have also been washed away, along with dozens of houses and large stretches of roads gone under water in the affected areas.
The bordering district of Sherpur is a remote area where country roads are at the heart of communication. The heavy onrush of water is believed to have washed away many country roads as water flowed several feet above the roads.
The flood situation worsened in Nalitabari and Nakla upazilas of Sherpur.
State-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported that around 40,000 people had been marooned in the low-lying Kullagara, Gaonkandia and Kakoirgara unions of Durgapur upazila of Netrakona district.
The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre in its flood bulletin issued on Sunday afternoon said that the Bhugai River swelled 4cm in the 24 hours until 9:00am on the day, while the Jinjiram River rose by 33cm over the same time, flowing 58cm above the danger mark at Goalkanda in Jamalpur.
The flood situation in the low-lying areas along the Bhugai River in Sherpur and Mymensingh districts might remain stable, while the flood situation in the low-lying areas along the Jinjiram River in Jamalpur might deteriorate slightly over the next 24 hours, the FFWC said.
On the other hand, in the next 24 hours, the water level of Kangsha and Someswari rivers in Netrakona district might cross the danger level and might flood some low-lying areas. The water level of Jadukata River might rise and cross the danger level and some low-lying areas of Sunamganj district might be flooded over the next 24 hours, the FFWC said.
The Jadukata rose by 179cm at Lorergarh in the 24 hours, flowing 27cm below the danger mark.
In its reporting cycle, the FFWC said, Bangladesh鈥檚 highest rainfall of 308mm was recorded in Jariajhanjail of Netrakona, followed by 230mm of rainfall recorded in Durgapur of Netrakona, 218mm in Moheshkhola of Sunamganj, and 194mm in Kurigram.
Jariajhanjail received 758mm of rainfall over the 72 hours ending at 9:00am on Sunday, while over the same time Maheshkhola received 403.5mm of rain and Durgaur 551mm, the FFWC said.
Compared with the previous two days, rain reduced in the upstream but still continued over a large area.
The India Meteorological Department reported in the 24 hours until 8:30am Indian time that West Khasi Hills received 1,646 per cent excess rainfall compared with the normal average. North Garo Hills recorded 1,609 per cent excess rainfall, followed by southwest Khasi Hills witnessing 1,557 per cent excessive rain, Udalgiri 957 per cent, and east Garo Hills recorded 756 per cent excess rainfall.聽
Parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur also recorded very heavy rains over the same time.
In the 24 hours until 6:00pm on Sunday, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded the country鈥檚 maximum rainfall of 135mm in Rajarhat.
The BMD said that rain would continue more or less until the end of the week.