After heavy rains and floods, millions of people in parts of Bangladesh and India have been cut off from the outside world. At least 57 people have died from the bodies of water, authorities in both countries announced on Saturday. In northeast Bangladesh alone, two million people are cut off by the worst flooding in nearly 20 years.
In Bangladesh’s Zakiganj district, more than 100 towns were flooded after the Barak River, which flows from India’s northeast, breached a dyke, according to the chief of Sylhet region. According to him, at least ten people died during the week.
According to local civil protection authorities, at least 47 people have died in India as a result of storms, floods and landslides, including 14 in the state of Assam alone, which borders Bangladesh.
At least 33 people died in storms in the Indian state of Bihar on Thursday, according to official figures. The heavy rains, unusual for the time of year, damaged hundreds of hectares of crops and thousands of fruit trees. Bihar had also suffered from a heat wave this week with temperatures reaching 40 degrees.
Floods are common in much of Bangladesh and adjoining parts of India. Experts predict that global climate change will increase the likelihood of severe weather events.
