Monsoon deaths in Gujarat state

Bombay has been hit by heavy rain

Heavy monsoon floods in India's western Gujarat state have left at least 50 people dead, authorities there say.

The army and air force have been deployed to assist rescue and relief operations. Thousands of people are cut off from help, officials say.

Parts of India have been hard hit by floods but Gujarat had so far escaped.

Neighbouring Bangladesh is suffering from its worst floods in at least six years, with more than 20 million people requiring food aid.

Gujarat Health Minister IK Jadeja told the BBC that almost 400 villages had been cut off in Surat, Navsari and Valsad districts.

Earlier people were praying for rains - now, everyone is praying for the rain to stop Surat trader Babubhai Viradia In pictures: Flood misery

Air Force helicopters are being used to rescue people and boats are also being used to move them to safer ground.

"Earlier people were praying for rains. Now, everyone is praying for the rain to stop," Babubhai Viradia, a trader in the diamond and textile city of Surat, told Reuters news agency.

Traffic from Gujarat to India's financial capital, Bombay (Mumbai), has also resumed after coming to a standstill.

Several days of heavy rain in Bombay has flooded streets and disrupted transport.

Hundreds of people have died as a result of the floods in the Indian states of Assam and Bihar.

Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, the flood waters have covered 60% of the nation of 140 million people and some 600 people have died.

ASIAN MONSOON The word 'monsoon' comes from the Arabic for 'season' Describes seasonal reversals of wind direction From April heat builds over South Asia, creating low pressure areas Brings moisture-rich south-west winds in from the ocean BBC Weather: Asian monsoon

The United Nations is preparing to appeal to member countries for more money to help distribute food and medicine and to rebuild infrastructure as the waters subside.

On Wednesday, Douglas Casson Coutts, the acting UN resident co-ordinator in Bangladesh said it would take the country at least a year to recover from the floods.

"We are still working out exact numbers in each sector, but it is already clear that the country will need a lot of support to get back on its feet," he said.

As flood water levels go down in the country, outbreaks of diarrhoea are increasing.

More than 100,000 people have contracted diarrhoea in the capital, Dhaka. Doctors expect the numbers to rise sharply in the coming weeks.

Around a quarter of a million people are still living in flood shelters in Dhaka.