31.   President Bush has instead proposed a government-wide contingency fund to deal with unforeseen national disasters.

32.   An earlier call for food aid after President Bakili Muluzi declared a state of national disaster in February was met with a muted response.

33.   Anderson said he believed declaring a national disaster was not on the agenda at the moment.

34.   Bush instead has proposed a government-wide contingency fund to deal with unforeseen national disasters.

35.   But Lt. Gen. A.M. Hendropriyono, deputy head of the national disaster board, said he was reluctant to prosecute the businessmen.

36.   He added that he was creating a national disaster agency to ensure immediate response to emergencies.

37.   Heavy rains caused landslides and flash flooding in Hualien, killing nine people, the national disaster relief center reported.

38.   In Manila, President Fidel Ramos ordered Defense Secretary Fortunato Abat to mobilize the national disaster coordinating council to help stop the fire from spreading further.

39.   It was caused by heavy rains in the region, said Jose Perez, a spokesman for a national disaster agency.

40.   It was declared a national disaster because it put the lives of millions of people in danger.