“The water was up to our necks. Everything is destroyed”

Heavy rains have hit northeastern India and neighboring Bangladesh, causing floods and landslides. At least 23 people have died in the Indian state of Tripura and more than 65,000 have been displaced. Most of the deaths were caused by landslides.

Bengali authorities reported at least 15 deaths on Saturday. Nearly 200,000 people have been evacuated from flooded areas. The worst-hit districts in Bangladesh are Feni, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Kumilla and Chittagong.

Hundreds of homes were flooded, and some residents fled to their rooftops for shelter. Many livestock died, there was extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure, and large losses were reported in agriculture. In total, more than six million people were affected by the floods in India and Bangladesh.

– Everything is destroyed, everything is gone. The water was up to our necks – said one of the residents, who had to evacuate with his family.

– The water broke into my house and took away many things, including clothes and documents – said another of the injured.

Over the past few days, parts of Tripura state and eastern Bangladesh have received heavy rainfall of nearly 200 litres per square metre.

The rivers flowing on both sides of the border reached extremely high levels.