RAWALPINDI, Jan 23: Asia remained the most affected continent in the world as nine countries in the region recorded the highest number of disaster-related deaths in 2008, according to figures released by the Centre for Research on Epidemiology.

The year saw a marked increase in the number of deaths and economic losses compared to 2000-2007 yearly average. As many as 321 disasters killed 235,816 people, affected 211 million others and cost a loss of 181 billion dollars, the Centre estimates.

The death toll in 2008 was three times more than the annual average of 66,812 for 2000-2007 and was mainly caused by two major events: Cyclone ‘Nargis’ which killed 138,366 people in Myanmar and the Sichuan earthquake in China which caused the deaths of 87,476 people. —A Reporter