Assam flood toll rises: 21 killed in a day; over 5.6 lakh affected across 16 districts

A resident sits on the steps of a flood-affected house surrounded by inundated waterNEW DELHI: At least 21 people were killed in Assam in the last 24 hours as the flood situation worsened, with more than 5.64 lakh people affected across 16 districts, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).The latest fatalities included 13 deaths in Sivasagar, five in Charaideo, two in Golaghat and one in Jorhat, the ASDMA said in its late-night bulletin.With the latest deaths, the overall flood toll this year has risen to 31.The number of affected people increased sharply from 3.63 lakh in 15 districts on Monday to over 5.64 lakh. Sivasagar remained the worst-hit district, with 3.59 lakh people affected, followed by Jorhat (87,662) and Charaideo (72,646).A total of 872 villages