CALCUTTA, India A breakdown in road and rail links has crippled relief efforts for victims of flooding in east India, that has killed more than 400 people.
Officials said they feared the breakdown could spark a repeat of Monday's unrest when hungry mobs attacked relief teams for food.
"People will start getting very restless if they don't get food and clean water very soon," Lieutenant Colonel E.J. Sanchis, who is leading 1,000 troops involved in rescue operations in India's West Bengal State, told Reuters on Tuesday.
Torrential monsoon rains in West Bengal have killed 418 people and more than 250 people are missing. The floods have affected 15 million people and washed away nearly a million homes.
On Monday, hungry mobs attacked relief teams and looted trains carrying aid, forcing police to fire in the air to disperse an angry crowd at Nadia district, 150 km (95 miles) north of Calcutta.
In the past 24 hours, the main highway connecting Calcutta to Murshidabad, the worst-hit district, has become completely flooded about 80 km (50 miles) from Calcutta, relief officials said.
(Reuter)