By IANS
Balasore (Orissa) : Around 300 villages in Orissa's Balasore district have been flooded due to heavy rains for the past four days, forcing villagers to flee their homes to safer places, officials said Friday.
The rains have flooded the Subarnarekha and Jalaka rivers in Balasore, around 200 km from here, which received 369 mm of rain Thursday alone, a district official said.
The rivers, flowing above the danger mark, have inundated nearly 300 villages, he said.
While the district administration launched rescue and relief operations and evacuated hundreds of people, many villagers had already fled to safety.
Other rivers in Balasore including Budhabalanga, Kansabansa and Sona are also rising, the official added.
The meteorological office here predicted more rain in north Orissa, including Balasore district.
Squally weather and winds with a speed of up to 70 km per hour is likely to prevail along the north Orissa coast, a weather official said.