The death toll in Pakistan's devastating earthquake rose to nearly 40,000 on Saturday, while rain, snow and frigidly cold weather compounded the misery of millions of homeless victims and grounded some relief flights a week after the disaster. President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said the grim numbers _ 38,000 dead and 62,000 injured in Pakistan alone _ are likely to get even worse in coming days as rescue and recovery teams reach more communities, some still virtually untouched since the Oct. 8 temblor. "I think it will keep rising when we go into the valleys," the president told a news conference. Musharraf said the greatest need now is for tents to help shelter an estimated 2 million homeless survivors ahead of the harsh Himalayan winter. "The main thing we need is tents," said the president. "We are asking everyone to give us tents." Heavy rain began falling early Saturday in many quake-hit towns and snow fell in the surrounding mountains, disrupting relief efforts. Downpours earlier in the week had grounded helicopters and stopped trucks loaded with relief supplies, The Associated Press reported. Helicopter relief flights _ which have been ferrying supplies into the quake zone and ferrying out the injured _ were halted for about an hour and a half Saturday morning before resuming, except to the northern town of Balakot where the weather was particularly bad. That left hundreds of injured, cold and terrified people waiting by the helipad, hoping for the weather to clear.
