Aid workers said yesterday several camps in India's northern Bihar state and across the border in Nepal - areas devastated when a monsoon- swollen river burst its banks and changed course - were already reporting cases of diarrhea and other crippling illnesses.

A large part of Bihar is under water, with 550,000 people displaced and a further 400,000 still awaiting rescue. At least 60,000 have also had their homes washed away in southern Nepal.

"After two to four days, because of the stagnant water, more people will get sick. There will be more illnesses," government health worker Jai Krishna Sah said.

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In many areas, the wells have been inundated with floodwaters containing sewage, bodies and refuse.

"The important thing now is for there to be some camp management, where the people have access to latrines, clean drinking water and some basic health care," European Commission humanitarian aid representative Malini Morzaria said.

One flood survivor, Sunita Yadav, was carrying a bucket of muddy water that she said she was going to use to make porridge.

"Sometimes I use this water to cook or drink. What are we to do?" she said.

The relief operation in Bihar, however, is proving slow going - and dangerous. Most people reaching safety are traumatized by the loss of their homes, crops or loved ones, and carry few or no possessions.

At least 15 people drowned overnight in two separate accidents involving overcrowded rescue boats taking part in the effort to ferry villagers to safety, Bihar state disaster official Pratyay Amrit said.

The dead included many children who were washed away by the strong currents still gushing through Supaul and Madhepura districts, two of the worst-hit areas.

"These were areas rescue teams had been struggling to reach and evacuate people," Amrit said.

At least 100 people have been confirmed dead since the Kosi river overwhelmed decrepit flood defenses in Nepal and shifted course two weeks ago.

The real toll is believed to be far higher as many people were simply washed away by strong currents.

Lieutenant-General HS Panag, the Indian Army official coordinating relief work, said the floods were "the biggest national calamity in recent times."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE