Kolkata: Hundreds of people affected by communal violence in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district have crossed the Bhagirathi River and taken shelter in adjoining Malda, officials said.

The local administration has arranged for accommodation and food for the fleeing riot-hit families and sheltered them in schools, while deploying volunteers at the river bank to assist those arriving in boats.

Several areas in Muslim-majority Murshidabad, including Suti, Dhulian, Jangipur and Shamsherganj, have witnessed violent protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act that spiralled into communal violence, sparking the exodus.

Visuals on the media showed burnt shops, hotels and houses in these parts of Murshidabad.

“We escaped from Mandirpara area of Dhulian as our houses were set on fire and women and girls molested by a gang of outsiders and some locals,” a young woman, who fled the area along with four other family members, told........

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