Twenty-one lakh people have been affected due to flash floods in west Midnapore, with reports saying nine people have died so far. Around 1.5 lakh people continue to remain marooned in east and west Midnapore.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will go to

Kolaghat to review the flood situation on Friday.

Around 10,000 Army personnel have been deployed in Sabang, Pingla and Narayangarh in west Midnapore.

Civil Defence Minister Srikumar Mukherjee said an additional 15 high-speed boats have been pressed into service for relief and rescue operations. About one lakh people have been rescued till now.

State finance minister Asim Dasgupta said that five tonnes of food material have been airdropped. “We have earmarked Rs 6 crore for relief operations in the flood-hit areas,” Dasgupta said. Five hundred tonnes of rice has been allotted for distribution among victims in the flood-hit areas. Fifty medical teams have been sent to these areas.

Rail links between Kolkata and southern India remained cut off for the third day today, as floodwaters damaged a bridge between the Narayangarh and Bakhrabad stations. “Bridge number 168 in West Midnapore has been damaged and the girders washed out,” said a South Eastern Railways official.

Besides, there are breaches at some locations in the Bhadrak section and teams have been dispatched to repair the damage. Repair work on the bridge is likely to be completed in another three days.