UN: China, India face extreme risk from disasters

GENEVA: People in China and India are among those with an "extreme" risk of dying in a natural disaster, the United Nations said in a report.

The global body also cited Bangladesh, Colombia, Indonesia and Myanmar as the countries facing the greatest threat of massive deaths from disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and landslides.

"Natural disasters are there and we cannot stop them," said Senator Loren Lagarda of the Philippines, who was among those presenting the UN's "Mortality Risk Index" in Geneva.

However, she said developing countries around the world need to improve their disaster planning to better prepare for disasters. Rich countries should help, as their industrialization has led to climate change that is exacerbating the effects of storms and other weather events, Lagarda said.