A bridge between Balasore and Kharaghpur gave way due to flood. AP

Bhubaneswar, June 18: The Orissa government today sought help of Indian Air Force authorities to drop food packets, as flood situation in north Orissa continued to be grim. Road and rail services were disrupted in several places owing to swelling rivers.

State disaster management minister Manmohan Samal said the Indian Air Force has agreed to send two helicopters for the job. Around 50,000 food packets are ready to be dropped by air from tomorrow. The disaster management department confirmed the death of 13-year-old Kadambini Hembram from Rairangpur area of Mayurbhanj after her house collapsed.

Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force units have been sent to Balasore from Koraput, Chhatrapur and Jharsuguda.

Over eight lakh people in four districts of north Orissa have been affected by the flood, confirmed chief minister Naveen Patnaik after taking stock of the situation at the secretariat this evening.

The chief minister said that he has asked officials to rush adequate food, polythene sheet, medicine and snake venom antidote to Balasore, which is experiencing the “worst-ever” flood this year following heavy rain.

Subernarekha is flowing above 12.65m at Rajghat as against the danger mark of 10.36m. Last year, the highest level was 12.38m.

The disaster management minister said distribution of relief for three days has already been announced.

Special relief commissioner N.K. Sundaray is camping at Balasore to supervise the relief operations.

Samal said more than one lakh people in five blocks (Jaleswar, Bhograi, Basta, Baliapal and Sadar) of Balasore are marooned. Similarly, 27 panchayats under Dhamanagar and Bhandaripokhari of Bhadrak have been affected by floods caused by the swelling Baitarini.

Rasgovindpur, Badasahi, Morada and Saraskana blocks of Mayurbhanj are bearing the brunt of flood, while Betanati and Rairangpur blocks have been partially affected. Around 150 marooned people in Saraskana blocks have been evacuated to safer places.

Road communication was hit after a bridge on NH-6 near Rupsa in Balasore district collapsed. Train services were disrupted for the second day today in Bengal and northern Orissa. Puri-Howrah Express, scheduled to leave Puri, remained cancelled.

The situation is expected to worsen as the Met office predicted heavy to very heavy rain at a few places. Extremely heavy rain (more than 25cm) are likely at isolated places over north Orissa and heavy to very heavy showers are at isolated places over south Orissa during the next 48 hours.