The overall flood situation in Bihar remained grim with major rivers still maintaining rising trends as the turbulent Gandak submerged fresh areas under Panpur block in West Champaran district after breaching a portion of Saran embankment near Prithwipur.

According to the state water resource department the swirling waters of Gandak which was rising menacingly following heavy rains in its catchment areas in upper Nepal, threatened to further widen the breach with people residing nearby the breach-site shifting materials, the sources added.

Train passengers robbed

ALLAHABAD: The passengers of 2382-Down Deluxe Express train were last night robbed of their cash and jewellery by armed robbers between Prempur and Sarsaul railway stations on the Kanpur-Fatehpur section of the Northern Railway, the third case of train dacoity in this area during the last one month. According to railway sources, the robbers entered the sleeper bogie of thetrain around midnight yesterday and looted the passengers at gun point. When the train slowed down near Sarsaul station, the robbers got down and escaped.

Naxalite killed in police encounter

HYDERABAD: A naxalite of the banned People's War Group (PWG) was killed in an encounter with the police at Doctor's Colony in Warangal town in the wee hours today. Police here said five Naxalites opened fire on seeing a patrol party. Police returned the fire, killing a Naxalite. However, the others escaped under the cover of darkness.

Two children killed in house collapse

HYDERABAD: Two children were killed and five others injured in a house collapse, following heavy rain at Peddahoutur village in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh last evening.The injured were admitted to the Kurnool Government Hospital, police said.

NLFT militants abduct two in Tripura

AGARTALA: National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) guerillas kidnapped two people, including the father offormer transport minister Ranjit Debnath from Amarpur sub-division in South Tripura district and the Longtarai valley sub-division, last night.

Police said here today that a gang of armed NLFT terrorists stormed into the house of Debnath, a CPI(M) State committee member, at Ekchari and abducted his father Shetra Mohan Debnath (75) at gunpoint.

Before fleeing, the militants fired at a relative of Debnath who, however, escaped unhurt.

In another incident, suspected NLFT militants abducted a businessman from a jeep at Marachara in Longtarai valley.

Security forces have rushed to both places and launched a massive search operation to rescue the abducted people, sources added.

Eight people swept away in flash floods

SHIMLA: Eight people were swept away in flash-floods caused by cloudburst at Dmar village in Nirmand area of Kullu district early this morning, police said. Eight houses and seven water mills were also washed away in the floods. Authorities have rushed to the village to carryout rescue operation.

When some passengers resisted, the robbers attacked and injured them. An FIR has been lodged at the Government railway police post in Fatehpur.