The death toll in flood-ravaged Bihar has gone up to 292 even as the overall situation remained grim. Major rivers are in full spate after incessant rains lashed catchment areas. All schools will remain closed till August 20 in Patna district, sources said.

The state disaster management officers said on Thursday that five more deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.

Samastipur alone accounted for 55 deaths followed by 53 in East Champaran, 51 in Darbhanga, 35 in Muzaffarpur, 22 in Khagaria, 19 in Sitamarhi and 13 in Begusarai.

Ten each perished in Saharsa and Bhagalpur districts, while four persons lost their lives in West Champaran, seven in Madhubani, five in Katihar, two in Bhojpur, one each in Nalanda and Munger and four in Madhepura.

Over 1.5 crore people are reeling under the spell that destroyed standing crops in 11.63 lakh hectare, the value of which was estimated to be Rs 271.00 crore, besides damaging over 1,59,541 houses.

Over 1,100 relief camps, 456 medical camps and 266 cattle camps continued to function 24 hours in the 20 flood-hit districts to provide help to the affected, sources said.

Authorities so far distributed food items, candles, bedsheets and other basic items, sources said. IAF helicopters air-dropped 23,400 food packets in areas incommunicado in East Champaran, Darbhanga, Bhagalpur, Samastipur, Madhubani, Khagaria and Begusarai districts.

The Central Water Commission sources said most rivers were maintaining rising trends all along their course after rains in catchment areas.