Rainstorms in Bangladesh kill 36

Tropical storms and lightning strikes have killed at least 36 people, injured hundreds and flattened thousands of homes and rice crops in northern Bangladesh.

Ten people were killed on Tuesday as the storms knocked down thousands of trees and electricity poles, newspapers reported.

Storms killed 26 people in the north earlier this week. Government officials in the storm-hit region could not be reached by telephone because of the May Day holiday.