At least 50,000 people fled their homes on Saturday after heavy monsoon rains triggered flooding in India's north-east, placing the area on "maximum alert", an official said. The strong rains caused the Singora river to overflow in Lakhimpur district, 450 kilometres east of Assam state's main city of Guwahati, inundating at least 30 villages, officials said.
Some 50,000 people fled their homes to take shelter on higher ground, district official B. Barooah told AFP.