Update: China, Burma Death Tolls Rise

Beijing, China (AHN) - Disaster-ravaged neighbors China and Burma registered increases in their respective death tolls on Friday. As of 2 p.m., dead Chinese reached 22,069, while Myanmar's official death count topped 78,000 from the previous government account of 43,000.

The two Asian countries disasters were just 10 days apart. Burma was battered by Cyclone Nargis on May 2, hitting hard the Irrawady Delta. China was rattled by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on May 12.

According to BBC, quoting reports from Yangoon's state television, Burma's missing increased to 56,000 from the last estimate of 28,000. China's injured slowly rose to 168,669 on Friday from 159,006 on Thursday.

China's Ministry of Civil Affairs said 181,460 tents, 170,000 thick clothes and 220,000 quilts are ready for distribution to tremor-ravaged areas. As more Chinese children were orphaned by the temblor, the ministry would arrange for adoptions of children whose parents died in the Monday earthquake, the Xinhua News said.

Meanwhile, Burma refused to grant a visa to Louis Michel, top aid officer of the European Union. The United Nations Humanitarian coordinator, John Holmes, is due to arrive Sunday to convince the military junta to allow more UN relief workers into the country.