West Bengal floods: Video of miraculous rescue of 8 villagers in West Midnapore goes viral

A shocking video has emerged from West Bengal's West Midnapore district, where eight villagers were rescued from a boat that capsized in the overflowing Shilabati river. 

The video from Friday afternoon shows the boat losing control in the strong currents of the Shilabati river in the Sanaghat area. The boat was then pulled by the current and pushed into a wooden bridge. 

The video, which has now gone viral, shows the villagers jumping into the river and being miraculously rescued by locals.

Heavy rains in West Bengal have so far claimed at least 11 lives. Torrential rain in the last 24 hours has triggered floods and landslides in parts of the state.

The district administration in West Midnapore has opened 212 relief camps, where over 12,000 people have been rehabilitated. 

The road linking Keshpur to Midnapore remain inundated. 

District officials informed that as many as 172 gram panchayats and seven municipalities are flooded. Around 20,000 houses have also been damaged by the floodwaters.