Hundreds Dead From Cyclone In Myanmar

State Media Reports Massive Toll From Category 4 Storm

(AP)  A powerful cyclone killed more than 350 people, destroyed thousands of homes and knocked out power in the country's largest city, state-run media said Sunday.

Tropical Cyclone Nargis struck early Saturday with winds of up to 120 mph, the military-run Myaddy television station said.

Shari Villarosa, the top American diplomat in Yangon, said trees and electricity lines were down in the city after the storm's whipping winds and torrential downpour.

"Our Burmese staff have lost their roofs," she told The Associated Press. "There is major devastation throughout the city."

Five regions of the impoverished Southeast Asian country have been declared disaster zones.

At least 351 people were killed, including 162 who lived on Haing Gyi island off the country's southwest coast, state-run television said. Many of the others died in the low-lying Irrawaddy delta.

"The Irrawaddy delta was hit extremely hard not only because of the wind and rain but because of the storm surge," said Chris Kaye, the U.N.'s acting humanitarian coordinator in Yangon. "The villages there have reportedly been completely flattened."

State television reported that in the Irrawaddy's Labutta township, 75 percent of the buildings had collapsed.

The U.N. planned to send teams Monday to assess the damage, Kaye said. Initial assessment efforts have been hampered by roads clogged with debris and downed phone lines, he said.

"At the moment, we have such poor opportunity for communications that I can't really tell you very much," Kaye said.

Witnesses in Yangon said the storm's 120 mph winds blew the roofs off hundreds of houses, damaged hotels, schools and hospitals, and cut electricity to the entire city.

The state-owned newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday that the international airport in Yangon remained shut. Domestic flights have been diverted to the airport in Mandalay, it said.

"It's a bad situation. Almost all the houses are smashed. People are in a terrible situation," said a U.N. official in Yangon, who requested anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the media.

"All the roads are blocked. There is no water. There is no electricity," she said.

Yangon residents ventured out Sunday to buy construction materials to repair their homes. The price of gasoline jumped from $2.50 to $10 a gallon on the black market and everything from eggs to construction supplies had tripled, residents said.

Some people expressed anger that the military-led government in Myanmar, also known as Burma, had done little so far to help with the cleanup.

"Where are all those uniformed people who are always ready to beat civilians?" said one man, who refused to be identified for fear of retribution. "They should come out in full force and help clean up the areas and restore electricity."

The Forum for Democracy in Burma and other dissident groups outside of Myanmar called on the international community to provide urgent humanitarian assistance and urged the military junta to allow aid groups to operate freely - something it has been reluctant to do in the past.

"International expertise in dealing with natural disasters is urgently required. The military regime is ill-prepared to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone," said Naing Aung, secretary general of the Thailand-based forum.

A Western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said it was difficult for other countries to help unless they received a request from Myanmar's military rulers.

"We have to be welcomed by the host government," the diplomat said. "The international community is willing to provide humanitarian assistance. There has been tremendous destruction. At the end of the day, the government needs to let in the assistance."

Michael Annear, a regional disaster management delegate for the International Federation of the Red Cross in Bangkok, said his agency had teams in Yangon on Sunday distributing shelter kits and other relief supplies.

The cyclone came at a delicate time for Myanmar, which is scheduled to hold a referendum May 10 on the country's military-backed draft constitution. Authorities have not yet said whether they would postpone the vote.

A military-managed national convention was held intermittently for 14 years to lay down guidelines for the country's new constitution.

The new constitution is supposed to be followed in 2010 by a general election. Both votes are elements of a "roadmap to democracy" drawn up by the junta, which has been in power for two decades.

Critics say the draft constitution is designed to cement military power and have urged citizens to vote no.

[Po Win]

Both of my parents have relatives in Rangoon as they are Burmese, and were born in Burma. My father fled Burma just before 1962 when the military seized this country, and he has not returned since.

They raised three children born in Allentown, PA; Waltham, MA and myself in Grand Junction, CO. My sisters and I have been trying to reach any relative to no avail.

It would be a boon if the Bush Administration provided aid directly to the United Nations. People could rest easy knowing that our nation''s money is going to a reputable agency and not to the Burmese military.

In short, I can''t understand why India''s meteorological team''s warning wasn''t heeded by the government.

The Burmese would have had two days to head to higher land and would not be without food and water.

NASA, NOAA and the National Reconnaissance Organization could also have easily given adequate warning and provided the Burmese with information regarding response to the cyclone.

In all, this is very sad. In time, this will pass, but I pause to ponder why, why, why?

[algoresarse]

"%u2019m appalled at the administration%u2019s lack of response to the global warming hurricanes, and cyclones as well........ We need action now."

Posted by AL2008 at 11:46 AM : May 05, 2008
+ report abuse

**********

TYPICAL LIBERAL!!!!!

he hates the ''admininstration'' but is so dependent

[sharednotion]

This is one more reason to condemn dictatorship. A dictatorship can be so paranoid, that it will not invite outside help when the people need it.

[al2008-2009]

I%u2019m appalled at the administration%u2019s lack of response to the global warming hurricanes, and cyclones as well. We have no comprehensive strategy in place whatsoever, let alone a detailed plan of action to mitigate the effects of these cyclones, and mother earth continues to suffer while the administration refuses to go forward and do what%u2019s right for mother earth.
.
How long must we sit idly by while our mother continues to suffer from the warming taking place at a feverish pace? How long must our mother suffer before we have proper c02 taxes put into place? How long must the destruction of mother earth take place before we finally put responsible plans into action? How long must we wait until we beef up our corn ethanol production? At least Obama wants to cut c02 pollution by 80%; he is definitely our best hope.
.
We the people call upon our leaders to implement a comprehensive antiglobal warming strategy at once and work in coordination with state and federal officials; these cylcones and storms continue to worsen and the quicker we stop the warming the sooner we will see these storms cease. We need action now.

[nonayabiness]

Why does this article mention no less than 3 times that the media, television and newspaper, are state run? Is that of material value to this story? Is that information required to be disclosed in our media? Just wondering what the point is, if any, in repeatedly displaying that the information was received by state-run sources?

I feel for those affected by this tragedy.

[rheola-2009]

Rick

I would sincerely doubt that those you call atheists, e.g Richard Hawkins would hate your God, any more than those who believe in your God would hate atheists, if that were the case, then each''s argument would lose all credibility.
I am more likely to believe, that those who sincerely believe, in either case, would welcome the attempt to show the reason in their belief, and not just rely on character attacks on those who have a different view, nor would they expect others to believe what they preach, unless they can show some evidence, for that in which they believe.

[rheola-2009]

Rick

Further to my last.

I must give you credit where such is due. You certainly hang in there with your beliefs, for which you must be congratulated, as obviously you strongly believe in what you say, and stick by such, no matter how much flack you get from some posting on these boards, including myself, personally, I feel that is most commendable.

We all as citizens of this world, have the right to express our views, unless of course that expression or practise of that belief is harmful in any way to others, e.g. the attempts by various groups to force their beliefs upon others by the use of violence etc, be it political or religous.

Because I do not believe in the existance of a supernatural being, e.g. a God, does not necessarily brand me as a member of a particular group, e.g. Atheist, it simply means I cannot accept the teachings of religon, because they totally defy logic and require a person to be able to blindly accept the unbelievable, and in my mind, rely on fear to allow persons to gain a position of subjugation and power.

[rheola-2009]

It''''s that you HATE God. Just like your messiah Richard Dawkins does.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by libagenda at 03:49 PM : May 04, 2008


Rick

I do not accept all that Richard Hawkins says, however he makes an awful lot more sense than do you, in what you say.

Could you apply any simple logic to your claims of a creator, a God, a life after death, or any of the stories in the bible, [old and new testament] that rely on a belief in the supernatural, that would in any way, show the possibility of at least a minimal amount of truth in what you claim, and that they are not the fabrications of men, to protect a position of power gained by using mans natural fear of death.

All forms of so called religion, have played on the gullibility of humans in attempts to subjugate them and thereby gain political power over them.

I have asked you in the past, and will do so again.

Show some logical and believable evdence, of the existance of this God.

[ringading3]

I wonder if the BET crowd were shooting at the rescuers like they were doing during Katrina in New Orleans? Yes, it''s true those who stayed behind to loot were shooting at the people in boats trying to save their arses. It was on the local media, but the national media were afraid to carry the stories.

[Markus]

AHHHH,THOSE TOUGH-AS-NAILS CONSERVATIVES.THEY DO A GREAT IMATATION OF A COWPIE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING ON THE OUTSIDE.LOOKS GOOD.A SUFACE SAMPLE TASTES GOOD...BUT IT IS STILL COWS*** ON THE INSIDE.KISS IT MR. CONSERVATIVE.

[algoresarse]

Yet another god-rage kills innocent people and animals, oh but remember, we have a "choice" of course!

Posted by newster1 at 12:52 PM : May 04, 2008
+ report abuse

*******

let me get this straight..you blame something that you dont believe in??

YOU ARE A BIGGER WHINER THAN I THOUGHT..helpless liberal

[underdogus]

newster1 okay your point is??

[nothappyatall]

Yet another god-rage kills innocent people and animals, oh but remember, we have a "choice" of course!