Indian floods kill over 80

Heavy monsoon rains in the western Indian states of Maharashtra and Gujarat have claimed at least 80 lives in the last few days.

Officials in Bombay say about 5,000 people have been left homeless in Maharashtra, and in Gujarat more than 6,000 people have been evacuated to higher ground.

The torrential rains also damaged rail tracks, causing severe disruption to traffic in both states.

Coastal areas of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg suffered heavy crop damage, while in Gujarat the rains have replenished irrigation dams that had dried up with the summer drought.

Meteorologists say the situation is unlikely to change over the next 72 hours, with predictions of continued heavy rains and thunderstorms.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service