Lucknow, Aug 20 - At least seven people, including three children, have been killed in floods in Uttar Pradesh triggered by heavy rains and the release of a huge amount of water from barrages in Nepal, officials said Thursday.

While the casualties were reported from Bahraich and Lakhimpur districts in the last two days, floods have also inundated villages in Shrawasti, Sitapur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Kushinagar and Maharajganj districts.

According to officials, since Monday 500,000 cusecs of water have been released from Banbasa and other barrages situated near the India-Nepal border.

'According to reports reaching us, four people were killed in drowning incidents and house collapses caused by floods in Mahsi town of Bahraich district,' district magistrate Subash Sharma told IANS over phone.

In Bahraich district, rivers flowing in spate have inundated as many as 185 villages affecting nearly 300,000 people.