Assam remains cut off, violence continues

Fresh clashes between minority immigrants and Bodo tribals and cases of arson were reported on Wednesday from lower Assam even as shoot-at-sight orders remained in force in Kokrajhar district which bore the brunt of the violence.

Official sources said there were reports of stray clashes and arson in remote villages of Chirang district where night curfew continued. Night curfew is also on in neighbouring Dhubri district.

Assam remained cut off from the rest of the country by rail as train services remained suspended all over the state, with hundreds of Assam-bound passengers being stranded in Coochbehar in West Bengal on the border with Assam and other places.

There were reports of food and drinking water shortage among the passengers leading to protests by them.

The official death toll stood at 32, but Chirang deputy commissioner Upendra Nath Bora said there were unconfirmed reports of recovery of three more bodies.

Over one lakh people have been rendered homeless and 125 relief camps have been set up in the affected district of Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri.

Sources said that 18 columns of the Army's 21 mountain division were on their way to the troubled districts.

An all-party delegation of the Assam assembly is scheduled to visit the troubled areas on Wednesday.