Cyclone Kills At Least 4,000 People

By The Associated Press

State radio in Myanmar says at least 4,000 people are dead from a weekend cyclone. The country's foreign minister says the death toll could be more than twice that.

Published: Mon, May 05, 2008 - 11:07 am
Last Updated: Mon, May 05, 2008 - 11:09 am

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - State radio in Myanmar says the death
toll from a weekend cyclone is nearly 4,000 and the country's
foreign minister says it could be more than twice that.
The storm struck the Southeast Asian country's southern coast
early Saturday with winds up to 120 miles per hour. It swamped
low-lying communities in the Irrawaddy River Delta and state radio
says nearly 3,000 people are unaccounted for in one town alone.
Relief officials say up to 95 percent of houses have been
destroyed in some villages and the country is "in dire need of
shelter and clean drinking water." They say the destruction is
making it difficult to get aid in and information out.
The State Department says the U.S. Embassy in Yangon has
authorized a quarter of a million dollars to help with relief
efforts. But it also says Myanmar's military rulers initially
refused to allow a U.S. disaster response team into the country to
assess damage.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)