Military starts Bangladesh relief

Some in Bangladesh say India made things worse

Military helicopters have started relief and rescue operations in Bangladesh for the victims of the country's floods.

A military spokesman was quoted by the French news agency as saying that two helicopters had left the capital, Dhaka, for the Jessore region to operate in the worst-hit areas.

On some bits of dry land people almost stood on top of each other

New agency photographer

More than two million people have been affected by floods that have already killed more than 850 people in the neighbouring Indian state of West Bengal.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday ordered helicopters to air drop food supplies to victims in inaccessible areas.

Press reports in Dhaka on Tuesday put the death toll in Bangladesh at over 100, although the official figure is lower.

The floods are the result of what are said to be the worst monsoon rains for 20 years.

A photographer for AFP said thousands of people were stranded in one area because an embankment had caved in.

Another photographer described the situation as "terrible," saying in some places "not a bit of dry land was left, while on some bits of dry land people almost stood on top of each other".

No early warning

Bangladesh says it is to investigate the reason for the sudden flooding in the south-west amid allegations that some of the damage could have been prevented if India had given an earlier warning of flood dangers.

Many people are still waiting for help

In recent days, surging floodwaters spilled over the border from the neighbouring state of West Bengal, causing widespread damage and forcing millions of people to flee their homes.

The Director of Bangladesh's Flood Information Centre, Akhter Hossain, told the BBC that the Indian authorities had not given sufficient warning before opening some of their dams.

He said that the sharing of more information between the two countries could have saved many lives.

Weather reports on Tuesday indicated that the threat of further monsoon rains over eastern India had eased, although more rain was still possible at some point.

Officials pointed out that the monsoon was not yet completely over.