Seven die in Indian floods

The army has been put on alert in the eastern Indian state of Orissa after about 500,000 people were displaced by floods caused by monsoon rains.

Seven people have died.

Thousands of hectares of paddy fields across the state have been submerged.

The authorities said the coastal districts of Puri and Jagatsinghpur were the worst affected.

State officials have been trying to restore communication links severed by heavy rains.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service