1.
GV PAN Rushing flood water
0.11

2.
LV & SV People stranded in flood water (2 shots)
0.17

3.
LV PAN Man swims through raging water (2 shots)
0.34

4.
SV People on embankment with cattle (2 shots)
0.43

5.
MV Family floating belongings on flood water
0.50

6.
GV People carry belongings through water
0.54

7.
LV & SV Old man wades through water (2 shots)
1.01

8.
SV Man hitting post PAN TO bridge under repair
1.10

9.
GV Bridge span (2 shots)
1.17

10.
GV & SV Men carry out repair work on bridge (4 shots)
1.39



Initials BB/1510



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Extensive flooding was spreading across Bangladesh Sunday (7 August) as continuing rain and water pouring in from the Assam region of India combined to cause the River Maghna and its seven tributaries to overflew their banks.

This brings to nine the number of Bangladesh districts swamped by floods since the beginning of the month.

One of the hardest hit areas was around the northern jute trading centre of Sirejgan???, where forty-thousand people -- out of a total population of three-hundred thousand -- were evacuated with the help of United Nations beats. Others were forced to seek higher ground on their own from the waters of the River ???umns when it burst its banks.

Repair work on the Hardinge Bridge, connecting Paksey and Bharamara across the mighty Padma River, has been delayed because of the continued bad weather and flooding. The bridge had been damaged in two places by the retreating pakistan Army, and one of its trestles was hit by rockets fired by Indian Air Force planed. The span has remained closed since early December, snapping North Bengal's link with the rest of the country.

The bridge is being repaired with the help of an Indian team of engineers. It is hoped the span will be able to handle rail traffic again by early September.

SYNOPSIS: The areas of dry ground were crowded with people seeking refuge from the flood waters. Cattle also shared the limited space and dwindling food supplies.

Those who could, took their belongings with them. Some used improvised rafts, others took just as much as they could carry.

These hardest hit were the very young and the very old, who found it difficult to cope with the flood waters.