Guwahati, July 22 -- In one of the deadliest single-day flood incidents in recent years, 21 people lost their lives across four districts of Assam on Tuesday, taking the death toll in the current wave of floods to 31.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), nearly half of the fatalities have been reported from Sivasagar district in eastern Assam.

In its latest update issued close to midnight, the ASDMA said floodwaters inundated 872 villages across 16 districts, affecting more than 5.65 lakh people and damaging 24,210.35 hectares of cropland.

Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat remained the worst-affected districts. Of the 21 deaths reported on Tuesday, 13 were from Sivasagar, five from Charaideo, two from Golag...