In Bangladesh’s Zakiganj district, more than 100 towns were flooded after the Barak River, which flows from northeast India, broke through a seawall, according to the Sylhet region chief. At least ten people died during the week, he said.
According to local civil protection authorities, at least 47 people have died in India as a result of storms, floods and landslides – 14 of them in the state of Assam alone, which borders Bangladesh.
According to official figures, at least 33 people died in storms in the Indian state of Bihar on Thursday. The heavy rain, unusual for the time of year, damaged hundreds of hectares of crops and thousands of fruit trees. Bihar also suffered from a heat wave this week with temperatures reaching 40 degrees.
Flooding is common across much of Bangladesh and adjacent regions of India. Experts predict that global climate change will increase the likelihood of severe weather events.