Monsoon floods displace 19 million in India

Torrents of water washed away homes, crops and cows, leaving hungry and frightened villagers perched in treetops or on roofs as the death toll rose today from monsoon rains across northern India and Bangladesh.

Vital to farmers, the annual rains have always been a blessing and a curse in the subcontinent – a fact apparent as ever as officials said at least 186 people have been killed and 19 million driven from their homes in recent days.