Monsoon flooding kills at least 160 across South Asia

Heavy monsoon rains have caused landslides and floods that have killed at least 160 people and displaced millions of others across northern India, southern Nepal and Bangladesh.

Officials said they are still trying to determine the scale of the disaster, with casualties and damage reported in multiple locations across the Himalayan foothills of South Asia. The seasonal floodwaters damaged bridges, toppled power lines and washed away thousands of homes in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam.

Officials say people have been killed by drowning or being caught inside collapsing houses or beneath falling trees. In neighbouring Nepal, police spokesman Pushkar Karki said rescuers were searching for 85 people reported missing after rivers burst their banks and killed at least 75.

Another 20 people died over the last few days in Bangladesh.