Floods kill dozens, displace over million in India, BD

GUWAHATI, India: Flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains in South Asia have killed dozens of people and displaced more than a million, most in north east India and Bangladesh, authorities said on Tuesday.

The Brahmaputra river, which flows from the Himalayas down to India and then through Bangladesh, has burst its banks, swamping more than 1,500 villages in India´s Assam state in the past week.

"The flood situation remains critical," Assam´s Water Resources Minister Keshab Mahanta told Reuters, referring to at least 10 of the state´s 32 districts. "The weather office is forecasting more rain and thunder showers in the next 48 hours," Mahanta said, adding that the state was on maximum alert and the army had put helicopters on standby, in case they were needed for rescues.