Flood death toll rises to 131 in Bangladesh

DHAKA, July 26 (Xinhua) -- A total of 131 people had been killed in floods caused by heavy seasonal rains and onrush of water in parts of Bangladesh, said a government report on Tuesday.

According to the daily flood report of the country's Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room, 103 people died by drowning, 16 from lightning strikes, two from snake bites, one from diarrhoea, and nine others due to other reasons between May 17 and July 26.

The floods have left a trail of death, misery and destruction.

According to the daily disaster situation report prepared by the country's National Disaster Response Coordination Center under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, tens of thousands of families were forced to flee home.

However, the country's overall flood situation has reportedly now improved in most of the districts with water levels in many rivers receding. And flood waters have also reportedly continued to recede, improving the situation considerably.

Millions of people in Bangladesh, criss-crossed by hundreds of rivers, suffer from flooding as the low-lying country experiences seasonal floods every year during the June-September monsoon.