Sonia Gandhi expresses concern on flood situation, urges Centre to provide assistance

Congress president Sonia Gandhi expressed grave concern on Sunday over the flood situation arising out of incessant rains in Bihar, especially in Patna, Uttar Pradesh and some other states and urged the Centre to provide assistance to the affected states.

Hoping that the respective state governments and local administration were initiating sufficient relief and remedial measures, Gandhi instructed the office bearers of the pradesh Congress committees (PCCs) and its frontal organisations, as also every Congressman, to provide all possible assistance to the ordinary people facing hardship.

She also sought to draw the Centre's attention Centre towards the flood situation in these states and appealed to it to provide the required assistance to the respective state governments.

At least 13 persons have died in rain-related incidents in Patna, Bhagalpur and Kaimur districts of Bihar.

As many as 48 people have died in rain-related incidents across the country, most of them in Uttar Pradesh, while the incessant rains in Bihar, where an alert has been sounded, have left the streets of state capital Patna and other areas waterlogged and the residences of at least two ministers marooned.

As many as 35 lives have been lost in Uttar Pradesh since Friday, the government said. While 25 people died on Saturday, 10 deaths were reported on Friday.