Four killed, three missing as dam collapse triggers flash flood in Chhattisgarh’s Balrampur district

At least four people were killed and three others went missing after a portion of a small dam collapsed and triggered a flash flood in Chhattisgarh’s Balrampur district, officials said on Wednesday. “Four persons, including a woman and her mother-in-law, died while they were sleeping in their homes. Three persons remain missing and a search operation is underway,” a government official said.

District administration, police team rush to the spot

District administration and police teams rushed to the spot after being alerted. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, he said. The breach in the Luti reservoir, located in Dhaneshpur village, was reported late on Tuesday night after heavy rainfall in the region, they said.

Water from the reservoir, built in the early 1980s, descended through the breach onto nearby houses and agricultural fields, resulting in a flash flood, the officials said.

CM Vishnu Deo Sai reviews flood situation

In the meantime, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai earlier this week conducted aerial and ground surveys of flood-affected Bastar and Dantewada districts in the Bastar division, where heavy rainfall early last week had claimed eight lives.

After the visit, the chief minister directed officials to expedite relief and rehabilitation measures, underlining the state’s priority to ensure timely assistance to flood-affected families, according to a government statement.

More than 2,000 people were evacuated to safety after incessant rains triggered flash floods and inundated vast areas in Dantewada, Sukma, Bijapur, and Bastar districts early last week.

Floods claim eight lives in Chhattisgarh

Floods claimed eight lives, killed 96 livestock, damaged around 495 houses and 16 culverts and bridges, officials said. The chief minister interacted with evacuees in a relief camp in Dantewada’s Chuditikra ward and assured the government’s support. He directed authorities to ensure an uninterrupted supply of food, clean drinking water, and safe shelter in relief camps.

Reviewing a health camp set up in the area, the CM sought details on the availability of medicines, deployment of doctors, and primary healthcare services, the government said, claiming that flood-hit families have expressed satisfaction with the swift assistance provided by district authorities.