亚洲大雨数百人死亡

The annual monsoon in south and south-east Asia is the lifeline for farmers in the region. But the rains sometimes bring with them misery and cyclones, that lead to death and disaster. The recent monsoon rains have caused fatalities and damage in many countries.

The tragedy of the monsoons in full view. India receives nearly 80 per cent of its annual rainfall from June to September. And this year, at least 120 people have been killed in the past week alone.

Adding to the problem is cyclonic storm Komen, which struck the worst-hit state of West Bengal.

48 people have been killed here and nearly 215,000 villagers have been taken to relief camps.

"It's been very difficult since yesterday when the water entered my shop. Everything got damaged. I could not sleep the whole night," a local resident said.

In neighboring Myanmar, the belt of heavy seasonal rains -- augmented by Cyclone Komen -- has killed 46 people so far and affected more than 200,000.  Floods also triggered landslides in Chin state, where 700 homes were destroyed in the state capital Hakha.

Rains have also battered Pakistan. 116 people have died here so far and more than 850,000 have been affected.

Dozens have also perished in Nepal and Vietnam following floods and landslides.

In Vietnam's northern province of Quang Ninh, home to the UNESCO-listed Halong Bay tourist site, toxic mudslides claimed the lives of two families and spewed coal into town centres.

"My house is buried under mud, soil and rock. I don’t know if we can go back to live there. The flooding has been going on for a long time," said To Thi Huyen, primary school teacher, Vietnam.

Authorities in these countries are doing their best to provide relief. However, with roads, phone lines and electricity knocked out in many parts of the region, relief and rescue efforts are proving difficult.