6 more killed in Punjab floods

A total of 43 people have died since August | in the state’s worst flood crisis in 40 years, officials say

- Karam Prakash, Navrajdeep Singh and Surjit Singh

Atleast six more people died in Punjab on Thursday as heavy rains continued to lash the north Indian state, taking the toll to 43 since August in the state's worst flood crisis in four decades, officials said, adding swollen rivers and dams reached danger levels leading to flooding in Punjab and Haryana even as agencies intensified evacuation exercises.

The six deaths were reported in Amritsar, Sangrur, SAS Nagar, Gurdaspur, Fazilka and Ferozepur districts, officials said.

Gurdaspur remained worst hit with 329 villages reeling under floods, followed by 190 in Amritsar, 123 in Kapurthala, 125 in Hoshiarpur, 91 in Mansa, 88 in Pathankot and 77 in Fazilka districts. Three people continued to be missing in Pathankot district, officials said. The Punjab government has already declared all 23 districts of the state flood-hit.

According to a state government bulletin, 384,000 people have been affected due to floods across 1,902 villages and 20,672 people have been displaced so far.