Troops rescue India flood victims

Flooding scenes

Indian soldiers and rescue workers have begun reaching thousands of people stranded in flood water in the western state of Gujarat.

At least 132 people have been killed in the state, a large part of which is under water.

Air force helicopters have been used to drop food packets to stranded villagers, while soldiers used rubber dinghies to reach affected areas.

Floods are common during monsoon rains which have now spread across India.

The houses were submerged and it was very tough to locate everyone Col Manoj Kumar

Weather officials say more heavy rain is expected over the next few days.

"We screamed out when we saw the soldiers, asking them to save us," Reuters news agency quoted Deepak Parmar, a villager in Garbada, as saying.

The village is located some 95km (59 miles) south of the state's commercial capital, Ahmedabad.

"The houses were submerged and it was very tough to locate everyone," said Col Manoj Kumar, who headed the rescue team.

Medical teams have also begun moving in amid fears that the stagnant water could lead to the spread of disease.

Transport affected

The main highway running through the state was partially opened on Sunday, allowing traffic to move between the cities of Baroda and Ahmedabad.

The heavy rain has damaged roads and railway tracks leaving passengers stranded.

Late on Friday, rescuers saved 354 passengers who had been trapped on a train filled with flood water up to neck height on the Indore-Gandhinagar Shanti Express at Dakor, 100km (62 miles), from Ahmedabad.

The passengers had been trapped since Thursday morning.