‘99 dead, many bodies yet to be recovered’: Congress alleges Assam government failed in flood response

Congress leader Ripun Bora has alleged that the Assam government has failed to effectively carry out rescue operations and provide adequate relief to people affected by the floods, claiming that the actual death toll could be higher than the official figure.

Bora said the official death toll had reached 99, while several bodies were yet to be recovered from flood-affected areas.

"So far, 99 people have died as per the official report. But the figure may be higher, and there are still many dead bodies that have not been recovered," Bora said.

The Congress leader accused the state government of failing to respond adequately to the situation, particularly during the initial days of the flooding. He claimed that relief provided by the government had been inadequate and alleged that the administration had taken several days to reach some of the worst-affected areas.

Bora said he had personally visited flood-hit areas and found that a significant portion of the relief materials being distributed had been contributed by members of the public rather than the government.

"Government relief is very, very nominal," he said, adding that food, utensils, clothes and other essential items had largely been contributed by people.

He also alleged irregularities in the distribution of relief materials, claiming that some of the supplies had been looted.

"There is rampant corruption. Many of the relief materials have been looted," Bora alleged.