New Delhi - At least 32 people, including 18 children, have died from diarrhoea in India's flood-hit eastern Bihar state, raising fears of the outbreak of an epidemic, news reports said Friday.

Most of the victims contracted disease by drinking contaminated water, IANS news agency reported quoting unnamed official sources.

Towns and villages across large swathes of Bihar have been flooded for more than a fortnight since the Kosi River breached its banks in neighboring Nepal following heavy monsoon rains.

Patna, Sept 5 : Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Friday conducts an aerial survey of flood-affected areas of Bihar.

The Minister, who hails from Bihar said that the situation is depressing and accused the Bihar Government for its sloppiness in providing relief to the flood victims.

New Delhi, Sep 5 : The Indian Air Force has donated 223.80 metric tones of ration for the flood relief operations in Bihar.

The ration will mainly include Atta, Rice, Dal, Sugar, Salt and Ghee. The distribution of this ration will take place through Army Central Command, which is designated as the Nodal agency for Bihar flood relief operations.

Meanwhile, Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta today chaired a meeting of the National Executive Committee to review the flood situation in Bihar. Representatives from the concerned ministries of the Government of India and the Bihar Government were among those present at the meeting.

Patna, Sep 5 : Relief and rescue work have been made available in every possible way by the Centre and other States for flood affected Bihar while the overall flood situation still remains grim even though it show signs of improvement.

Many railway stations in Bihar have been converted into flood relief camps. The concerns now are with regard to providing fodder for cattle and preventing the outbreak of epidemics.

Meanwhile, Centre has intensified flood relief efforts in Bihar on Thursday, the armed forces rushed 80 more divers and 50 boats to join the rescue mission.

Madhepura, Sept 5 : A team of 72 rescue workers, from West Bengal are lending a helping hand in rescuing people in Bihar’s flood ravaged Madhepura District.

Hailing from the hill town of Darjeeling in West Bengal, the award winning team, comprising both men and women, rescued trapped villagers in Laxmipur village, which has been completely inundated.

Called in by a local news channel, the team rescued around 150 villagers from the flood-hit village on Thursday.

New Delhi - India's eastern state of Bihar is preparing a massive rehabilitation and reconstruction programme after floods inundated more than 100,000 hectares of land, affecting more than 3.5 million people, officials said Friday.

Towns and villages across large swathes of the state have been flooded for more than a fortnight after the Kosi river breached its embankment in neighboring Nepal following heavy monsoon rains.