52 dead and thousands flee as monsoon floods hit India

Thousands of people are being rescued in India after a week of heavy rain, authorities have said

At least 52 people have been killed and tens of thousands have been forced to evacuate the towns of Bihar in the east, and Assam in the north east.

A government spokesman confirmed 26 deaths in Assam, where incessant downpours have snapped telephone lines and damaged roads in several districts.

They added that home collapses and drowning in Bihar caused the deaths of 26 people in 10 districts bordering Nepal.

Floods are an annual occurrence in parts of India during the monsoon season, which runs from June to September.