The death toll from Cyclone Aila in eastern India and Bangladesh has risen to at least 181.

Heavy rains after the storm have caused deadly mudslides and slowed rescue efforts.

The toll is expected to rise in both countries as rescue workers reach cut-off areas. The cyclone destroyed thousands of homes and stranded tens of thousands of people in flooded villages before it began to ease on Tuesday.

At least 50 people have been rescued from rooftops in the Sundarbans, a tangle of mangrove forests that is home to one of the world's largest tiger populations.

It is believed about 250 tigers live on the Indian side of the Sundarbans and another 250 live on the Bangladeshi side.

Conservationists say water levels are too high for ecologists and forest officials to enter the area and assess the damage.

(CCTV May 28, 2009)