TOLL FROM TYPHOON KETSANA CLIMBS

TYPHOON KETSANA DEATH TOLL HITS 100 IN VIETNAM
THOUSANDS TO BE EVACUATED IN SOUTH EAST ASIA

HOI AN (Vietnam) - Typhoon Ketsana extended its trail of destruction across South-east Asia yesterday, killing hundreds of people in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and unleashing some of the worst floods in a decade. Typhoon Ketsana left the capital Manila under water on Saturday and then cut a destructive path across Vietnam and Cambodia. The death toll from Typhoon Ketsana in Vietnam has risen to at least 100 and many were missing, a relief official has said. Reported deaths in the Philippines rose to 277 and there were 14 dead in Cambodia. Floodwaters completely submerged many old houses in Hoi An city, Vietnam, with people forced to get around in boats.

The storms have damaged 740 hectares of rubber and coffee in Daklak, Vietnam. The powerful typhoon that fatally hit the Philippines and Vietnam is now weakening over Cambodia, where several people died and hundreds lost homes. Typhoons occur year-round in the north eastern Pacific, usually blowing in from the east and threatening South East Asia and southern China. Another storm, Typhoon Parma, is heading towards the area bringing winds gusting up to 130mph. It is expected to be more powerful than Ketsana and will hit the area on Saturday.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

The sun, the moon, and all the planets appear and vanish: they die, and then again, they are created. Within such an eternity we have to live. Religion covers that aspect of our existence. We are told to view things from this standpoint: not only this body, but the human race, the animals, the trees, the entire Earth, and even the sun, will all vanish, and again spring up. Creation, dissolution, creation, dissolution - it will continue forever in the domain of misconception. At the same time, there is another world which is eternal; we are requested to enter there, to make our home in that plane which neither enters into the jaws of death, nor suffers any change.

Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhara Maharaja:
"The Search for Sri Krishna - Second Chapter"