Rain deepens Myanmar misery; casualty tolls jump

YANGON-Torrential tropical downpours lashed Myanmar's cyclone-hit Irrawaddy delta on Friday as thousands of destitute victims took to roadsides to beg for help to supplement the meager trickle of aid flowing in.The official death toll has jumped sharply, to 77,738 from a previous figure of 43,328 according to a Myanmar state television report late on Friday.Independent experts have said the actual number is probably far higher, with British officials saying the total dead and missing could be more than 200,000.Myanmar state TV put the number missing at 55,917, about double the previous 27,838. It said 19,359 people were injured, up from 1,403.The new figures were as of May 15, state TV said.As estimates of death and damage rise, those made destitute by the destruction have been seeking help from anyone who will offer it.In the storm-struck town of Kunyangon, around 100 km (60 miles) southwest of Yangon, men, women and children stood in the mud and rain, their hands clasped together in supplication at the occasional passing aid vehicle."The situation has worsened in just two days," one shocked aid volunteer said as crowds of children mobbed his vehicle, their grimy hands reaching through the window for scraps of bread or clothing.
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As in the days of Noah....