UP flood situation: 3 killed, over 16K evacuated from 23 affected districts

As many as 16,784 people have been evacuated to safety so far, with 3,042 of them rescued on Wednesday, as flood conditions persisted in parts of Uttar Pradesh, with 23 districts currently affected out of 35 districts impacted so far, officials said. Three people have died in rain-related incidents -- 18-month-old Priyansh in Pratapgarh and Shera, 32, and Suresh, 55, in Amroha's Gajraula. The government said 1,499 boats and motorboats have been deployed for relief and rescue operations, while 1,067 medical teams have been pressed into service. The affected districts are Ayodhya, Azamgarh, Ballia, Barabanki, Badaun, Chandauli, Farrukhabad, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Hardoi, Kasganj, Lakhimpur Kheri, Mirzapur, Moradabad, Pilibhit, Prayagraj, Raebareli, Sant Kabir Nagar, Shahjahanpur, Sitapur, Sonbhadra, Unnao and Varanasi, it said in the evening. The government has established 1,311 flood shelters, of which 201 are currently operational. Relief agencies have also provided assistance in 442