Eight die in monsoon floods

FLOODS killed eight people in Bangladesh, where an overflowing river swamped dozens of villages and left about 6,000 people homeless, while a family drowned in India as monsoon rains swept across south Asia.

Since the flooding began in June, a total of 258 people have died in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan from water-borne diseases, electrocution, collapsed buildings and strong currents.

The worst affected have been people living in villages, mostly in weak mud houses, with little access to help.