India, Sept. 12 -- The flood situation in Bihar deteriorated on Saturday, with the number of affected people increasing to nearly 48 lakh across 15 districts, while several rivers, including the Ganga, were flowing above the danger levels.

The Water Resources Department (WRD) cautioned against sudden and rapid riverbank erosion, and directed its officials to maintain close vigil at vulnerable locations.

"Due to the rise in water levels of several rivers, approximately 47.92 lakh people in 575 gram panchayats across 87 blocks in 15 districts have been affected by the floods," the Disaster Management Department said in a statement issued on Saturday.

The flood-hit districts are Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Buxar...