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August 29, 2008
Posted: 1203 GMT
BIHAR, India — We're stuck. The bridge ahead is bursting with water. Just a few hours ago the bridge was perfectly dry, according to the Indian Army commander we are traveling with.
Flooding has decimated northern India.
We are trying to get to the worst hit area, Birpur, on the border of India and Nepal. It is the exact place where the Kosi river has changed course after a huge breach in a dam in Nepal. People are panicking. They rush the army as they try to get over the bridge. Soldiers push the crowds back but a few break free. They are trying to save their homes. I am standing in knee deep water. The water has risen from my shins to my knees in a matter of a few minutes. Everyone's nerves are rattled. Mothers are crying, their children stunned, their fathers are carrying bags and chests filled with their belongings. They are pouring off a rescue boat. This is awful. All these people have nowhere to go. What can I do? I feel like a complete jerk. I am here to cover Bihar's worst flood in 50 years but I want to stop and join relief efforts. A soldier suddenly hands me a baby. I pass him on to his big sister waiting on dry land. I can't do enough. I am a journalist. I know what my job description is but I am torn. However, I am writing this so obviously I have made my choice. Posted by: CNN Correspondent, Sara Sidner |
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