Villagers rescued in India's flood-hit Assam state

Army troops were called in to rescue thousands of people stranded by massive floods that have ravaged northeastern India and Bangladesh, leaving millions of homes underwater and severing transport links.

In India's Assam state, at least nine people were killed in the floods and 2 million saw their homes submerged, according to the state disaster management agency. Lightning strikes in parts of neighboring Bangladesh have left at least nine dead since Friday.

Both countries have asked their militaries for help as more flooding looms, with rains expected to continue over the weekend.

The Brahmaputra, one of Asia's largest rivers, breached its mud embankments, inundating 3,000 villages and croplands in 28 of Assam's 33 districts across the border in India. Several train services were cancelled in India amid the incessant downpour over the past five days.