By Neelam Rahim

Monsoon rains have caused floods in Bangladesh and India, killing at least 62 people and leaving millions homeless.

Officials say that massive flooding and mudslides in northeastern India’s Assam state have claimed eight more lives, taking the death toll to 62 from weeks of heavy rains that caused one of Asia’s largest rivers to overflow.

Assam’s disaster management agency said 32 of the state’s 35 districts were underwater following weeks of heavy rains that caused one of Asia’s largest rivers, the Brahmaputra, to overflow.

The Brahmaputra flows from China’s Tibet through India and into Bangladesh on a nearly 800-kilometre journey through Assam.

Troops have been deployed to help millions of people trapped in floods in northeastern Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s flood situation is worsening, with authorities fearing more deaths in the next few days.

The incident has displaced more than 3 million people.

Rains and floodwaters from Bangladesh are entering the Indian Territory, paralyzing life there. So far, about 3,000 villages in the Indian state of Assam have been inundated.

Forecasters expect a respite from rains after the downpours.

According to ITV News, Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma toured flood-hit areas and described the situation as grim.

“We are now focusing on relief and rescue operations,” Sarma said, adding that the army and other rescue agencies have evacuated more than 20,000 people.

Annual monsoon rains usually hit the region between June and September. The showers are crucial for crops planted during the season but often cause extensive damage.

Flooding from swollen rivers has also spilt over to neighbouring Bangladesh, where the government said the situation would likely deteriorate in the worst-hit Sunamganj and Sylhet districts in the north and north-east.