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 30 August 2008 18:10 BST

Burmese government says 22,000 people killed by cyclone

Tuesday, 06 May 2008 19:52
Burmese officials claim at least 22,000 people killed and 41,000 missing following Cyclone Nargis

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Burmese officials have claimed at least 22,000 people were killed and 41,000 are missing as a result of Cyclone Nargis.

Foreign minister Nyan Win appeared on state television to confirm 10,000 people had died in the town on Bogalay alone.

Thai foreign minister Noppadol Pattama told reporters after a meeting with Burma's ambassador to Bangkok: "The losses have been much greater than we anticipated."

The United Nations (UN) claimed the cyclone, the worst to hit Asia since 1991, has left several hundred thousand people homeless.

On Tuesday the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said it had begun to distribute food in the cyclone-damaged areas of Rangoon, Burma's largest city.

"We are in close contact with the government on the response," said WFP country director Chris Kaye.

"So far, the government has provided some valuable cooperation. In order to meet the needs of the persons most badly affected by the disaster, much more cooperation will be required in the short term."

George Bush - who on Tuesday signed legislation awarding the congressional gold medal, the highest civilian honour in America, to pro-democracy Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi – has offered to dispatch the US navy to help rescue efforts.

But he said disaster assessment teams had to be admitted into the country at the same time.

Despite foreign aid beginning to arrive in Burma, concern is growing at the military junta's handling of the crisis.

Burmese villagers received little or no warning of the tidal surge which followed the cyclone that has been blamed for causing the majority of deaths.

Maung Maung Swe, relief and resettlement minister, told reporters in Rangoon that the government had been unprepared for such an event: "The wave was up to 12ft high and it swept away and inundated half the houses in low-lying villages.

"They did not have anywhere to flee."

Despite the damage, the government said the May 10th referendum to decide on the country's constitution will go ahead as planned.End of story


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