After heavy rain and flooding, millions of people in parts of Bangladesh and India have been cut off from the outside world.

At least 57 people died from the water masses, as the authorities in both countries announced on Saturday.

In the north-east of Bangladesh alone, two million people are isolated as a result of the worst flooding in almost 20 years.

In Bangladesh's Zakiganj district, more than 100 towns were flooded after the Barak River, which flows from north-east India, breached a seawall, according to the head of the Sylhet region.

According to him, at least ten people died during the week.

According to the local civil protection authorities, at least 47 people died in India as a result of storms, floods and landslides - 14 of them alone in the state of Assam, which borders Bangladesh.

According to official figures, at least 33 people died in storms in the Indian state of Bihar on Thursday.

The heavy rain, which was unusual for the time of year, damaged hundreds of hectares of crops and thousands of fruit trees.

Bihar had also suffered from a heat wave this week with temperatures reaching 40 degrees.

Flooding is common in much of Bangladesh and adjacent regions of India.

Experts predict that global climate change will increase the likelihood of severe weather events.