Twelve people drowned in flood waters in southeastern Chittagong district on Saturday, officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Another three died after drinking flood-tainted water in neighboring Khagrachari district.

The latest casualties brought to 45 the death toll from floods and landslides in the southeastern region since Thursday. The region is 135 miles from the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka.

The floods forced about 5,000 people from their homes in hardest-hit Khagrachari district, where officials reported an outbreak of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea and fever.

At least 20,000 people were stranded in inundated villages in Chittagong district, where floods damaged dozens of flimsy huts and rice crops. The villagers have only small boats for transportation.

The deluge also hit parts of northern Bangladesh, flooding nearly 200 farming villages and damaging rice crops. Road transportation was disrupted in many areas.

Most rivers in Bangladesh's three main basins - the Ganges, Brahmmaputra and Meghna - have swelled because of heavy rains, although many remained under flood level, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center said.

The Ganges and Brahmmaputra originate in the Himalayas and run through Indian territory before draining out through Bangladesh into the Bay of Bengal.

Seasonal flooding is common in Bangladesh, a nation of 130 million people.

(China Daily June 30, 2003)