Floods kill 61 in last 5 days in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh

More than 60 people have died in flood and natural disasters in the north and northeast parts of Bangladesh since August 12, an emergency official said Thursday.

Naznin Shamima, officer-in-charge of the Control Room at the Department of Disaster Management told Anadolu Agency that 61 people had died in the last five days, and most of them were children.

"Most of the victims drowned, while the others died of snake bites, lightning strikes and other reasons," Shamima said.

At least 870,000 families and 3.3 million people and 26 districts have been affected, she added.

Director-General of the Department of Disaster Management Abul Kalam Azad said Wednesday that 1,824 medical teams were working in 21 flood-hit districts of the country.

"There is enough medicine, oral saline solutions, and water purifying tablets in every district,” he told a news conference in Dhaka.