THE people of New Orleans begged for help last night as sick and injured disaster victims were dying on the streets.

Refugees demanded food and water as bodies piled up in the chaos.

And it was revealed that music legend Fats Domino was among the many hundreds of people missing.

The 77-year-old told his agent he planned to stay at his New Orleans house with his wife, Rosemary, and their daughter.

Checquoline Davis, Domino's niece, posted a message on the Internet yesterday pleading for information.

She wrote that Domino, his wife, their children and grandchildren "didn't get out" of the second floor.

The ravaged city resembled a war zone last night.

Hundreds of survivors lined the streets, some waist deep in filthy water, sobbing, calling out to TV cameras and in urgent need of medical attention.

Mayor Ray Nagin said the New Orleans Convention Centre was unsanitary and unsafe, and was running out of supplies for 15,000 to 20,000 people.

He said they did not think they had enough buses to get everyone out of the area.

Congress was expected to convene an emergency session either last night or today to pass a $10bn spending bill to help the stricken areas.

Police in the city struggled to restore order as violence escalated and the coastguard was forced to avoid areas where there was gunfire.

An estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people converged on the Superdome, hoping to escape the city as word spread about bus convoys taking refugees to Texas.

Fights broke out and fires raged. Shots were fired at a helicopter, temporarily suspending rescue activities.

Full report - Page 3