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Monsoon floods strand 80,000 in India's northeast

Monsoon rains have triggered flooding that has stranded about 80,000 people in northeastern India and killed another 31 overnight, sources reported Wednesday (August 20). Three days of incessant rainfall have caused floodwaters to inundate more than 100 villages in the state of Assam, where dozens of homes and acres of croplands have been destroyed, according to Reuters and the Associated Press (AP). The overflowing Brahmaputra River is the source of the flooding and the worst damage has been seen in Majuli, one of the largest freshwater islands in Asia, which is located within the Brahmaputra. About 50,000 people have been severely affected and authorities had to use motorboats to rush aid to victims Wednesday. According to state officials, all rivers in Assam are rising and with more rain predicted in coming days, the situation is likely to worsen, the AP reported. About 80,000 people in the state are now dependent on emergency aid for food and water, according to the AP. In Uttar Pradesh state, which has seen more casualties than any other state in this monsoon season, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported Wednesday that 31 people had been killed overnight and about 100 others were injured. Most of the casualties were caused by collapsed houses, according to PTI. While 15 deaths were reported in Sitapur district, eight were reported in Varanasi, six in Barabanki, one in Gonda and one in Jaunpur. Flooding conditions also persisted in northern Bihar state Wednesday, as villages continued to suffer from flooding that began after the Saptakoshi River burst its banks in Nepal's southeastern Sunsari district. About 40,000 people have been displaced in Sunsari, according to Reuters. The Indian Meteorological Department's Tuesday (August 19) forecast said the weather system over eastern Uttar Pradesh would persist for several days and that widespread rainfall was expected over India's northeastern states, West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh over the next 48 hours. South Asia's monsoon season typically runs from June through September, bringing deadly flooding and landslides to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar (Burma) and Pakistan.