At least 26 more people have died in monsoon-triggered floods or after lightning strikes in India, affecting millions in the country and neighboring Bangladesh, authorities said Monday.
Floods are a regular threat in India and Bangladesh, and experts say climate change is increasing in frequency, severity and suddenness in these two countries with a combined population of 1.6 billion.
In the north-eastern state of Assam, three people died in landslides and six others in floods, according to civil protection authorities.
In the more easterly state of Bihar, at least 17 people were killed by lightning that accompanied thunderstorms, according to Minister of Disaster Response Renu Devi.
About 5,140 villages have been flooded and more than 100,000 residents have taken refuge in emergency shelters across the state, which experienced severe flooding in April that killed 44 people.
After a few weeks of calm, the water level rose again in June, at the beginning of the monsoon season.
In neighboring Meghalaya state, at least 16 people have died since June 17 when landslides and flooded rivers flooded roads.
Devastating floods also hit Bangladesh, killing dozens and affecting millions.
Flooding from Sylhet district in the north-east of the country gradually receded on Monday, but millions of people are still stranded, said Mosharraf Hossain, the district’s chief administrator.
“The shelters are full. There are huge problems with food and drinking water. Many are afraid to return home, while others lost their homes as the waters rose,” he told AFP.
The drop is causing flooding in districts further downstream in Habiganj and Brahmanbaria, officials said.
In Jamalpur district, an eight-year-old girl died after being swept away by strong currents, police officer Aminul Islam told AFP.
Heavy rains also continued in the southeastern districts of Chittagong Hills, causing flooding in the port city and increasing the risk of landslides.