Cyclone Aila kills nearly 200 in Bangladesh and India

Main points

• Nearly 200 people have been killed by a cyclone
• millions remained marooned by floodwater or forced to live in shelters
• death toll in Bangladesh rose to more than 130
• Indian officials said at least 64 people had died in West Bengal state
• Cyclone Aila slammed into parts of coastal Bangladesh and eastern India Monday, triggering tidal surges and flooding that forced people from their homes.
• Heavy rain triggered by the storm also raised river levels and burst mud embankments in the Sundarbans delta in the neighbouring eastern Indian state of West Bengal.
• Large areas of crops were destroyed in both countries by the cyclone,
• Aila swept many areas still recovering from Cyclone Sidr in November 2007, which killed 3,500 people in Bangladesh and made at least a million homeless.
• Bangladesh officials said at least 100 people were missing after Monday's cyclone.
• Witnesses said many cyclone survivors faced a shortage of food and drinking water in areas still under storm surge.