$500m for quake-hit Gujarat

The Asian Development Bank has approved a $500m emergency loan to help rebuild the western Indian state of Gujarat, which was devastated by a powerful earthquake two months ago.

The bank says the loan will support efforts by the state government to restore vital infrastructure.

It says about 40% of the money is expected to go to rebuilding houses and restoring the power supply.

The bank says it has set up an office in the district of Gandhinagar, close to the affected areas, to ensure speedy implementation of the work.

The bank estimated the total cost of reconstruction at $625m.

The earthquake left nearly a million families homeless, and left 20,000 people dead.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service