Flash floods hit east Bangladesh

About 50,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in eastern Bangladesh after a dam burst and flooded their villages, authorities say.

A dam on the rain-swollen Gumti river collapsed in Comilla district and flooded more than 100 villages.

Civilian and military engineers have been sent to the area to repair and shore up the dam.

Earlier this week heavy rainfall in Bangladesh caused flooding in major cities and destroyed crops.

A senior district official, Tariqul Islam, told the BBC that the dam on the river had burst because of heavy rainfall in the region and across the border in the neighbouring Indian state of Tripura.

Second bout

Soldiers have already used rocks and cement-filled bags to reinforce the dam, a senior government official told Associated Press.

A local military commander said soldiers were using boats to move villagers to safety. No casualties have been reported.

This week's deluge caused the second bout of flooding

This week's deluge caused the second bout of flooding this monsoon season, and contained some of the heaviest rain the country has experienced for decades.

At least seven people have been killed in incidents connected with the floods, including some who were electrocuted.

In July, Bangladesh experienced its worst floods for six years which left 600 people dead.

More than 100,000 people were affected by waterborne diseases in the aftermath of July's floods.

The government estimated they caused around $7bn of damage.