South Asia flood toll nears 900

Heavy rain has swollen rivers flowing down from the Himalayan foothills, worsening monsoon flooding which is now said to have killed nearly 900 people across Nepal, India and Bangladesh.

Millions of people in the Indian states of Bihar and Assam are said to have been displaced or trapped.

The Indian Special Relief Commissioner, Sambhu Sarab Singh, said there was new flooding in northern regions of Bihar, and the Kosi River was flowing higher than normal.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent have asked donors for $1.7m in immediate aid for flood and landslide victims.

In contrast, hundreds of districts in northern and western India have been declared drought zone, with farmers reported to have lost most of their summer crop.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service