Monsoon displaces millions

DHAKA, Bangladesh -- Monsoon floods ravaging Bangladesh for more than a week have displaced or marooned at least 5 million people and left 40 others dead, officials said Wednesday. Some families were stranded on the roofs of their houses.

More than a third of Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation of 145 million people, has been inundated by floods, the Food and Disaster Management Ministry said.

The ministry did not specify the number of flood-related deaths, but relief officials said at least 40 people died in the past week. Many of the dead were children who drowned, relief officials said on condition of anonymity, as they were not allowed to speak to the media.

The River Jamuna breached its banks this week, inundating much of Sirajganj, a town 65 miles northwest of the capital, Dhaka. Streets flooded with waist-high water, forcing many schools and government offices to close.

Many displaced people have taken shelter on embankments, while others have moved onto their roofs. Residents are using small boats to get around.

On Wednesday, Fakhruddin Ahmed, the head of the country's military-backed interim government, took a helicopter tour of some of the northern flood-hit areas and promised to help the victims.

"We know that you are suffering. Our government will do everything possible to reduce your miseries," Ahmed said.

Every year during the summer rainy season, Bangladesh faces monsoon floods that kill hundreds and destroy homes and crops.