NEW DELHI, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The rains that continued for three days have subsided in Orissa in northeast India, but the deluge has left a trail of disaster -- at least 31 killed, over 40,000 people affected and thousands of houses destroyed.

    These are preliminary official estimates, local officials said Thursday.

    The monsoon rains caused by a depression over the Bay of Bengal hit the state Saturday and continued relentlessly for over three days.

    The situation has improved, but reports are pouring in from various parts of the state about the damage wrought.

    The 31 cases of people being killed came in from various districts, including Bhadrak, Bolangir, Gajapati and Raigada. Some were swept away by the floodwaters while others were killed in a landslide, according to Indo-Asian News Service.

    Besides, the rains have affected 1,730 hectares of crop, damaged 2,964 houses and affected 41,619 people, a government official said. Enditem