Report: 10,000 Dead In Single Myanmar Town

State Media Report Raises Fears That Overall Cyclone Death Toll Will Rise Significantly

(CBS/AP)  Myanmar's official media said Tuesday that 10,000 people were killed by a cyclone in just one town, confirming fears of a spiraling death toll from the storm's 12-foot tidal surges and high winds that swept away bamboo homes in low-lying coastal regions.

The ruling junta, an authoritarian regime which cut the nation off from the international community for decades, appealed for foreign aid to help in the recovery from Saturday's disaster, the country's deadliest storm on record.

The casualty count has been rising quickly as authorities reach hard-hit islands and villages in the Irrawaddy delta, the country's major rice-producing region, which bore the brunt of Cyclone Nargis's 120-mile-per hour winds.

Myanmar Foreign Minister told diplomats in Yangon Monday that, overall, more than 10,000 people may have died when Cyclone Nargis struck Saturday.

But on Tuesday, state television confirmed fears of a rapidly rising toll, reporting that 10,000 perished in the town of Bogalay in the country's Irrawaddy delta.

The cyclone came just a week before a crucial referendum on a military-backed constitution that the ruling junta hoped would go smoothly in its favor, despite opposition from the country's feisty pro-democracy movement.

The disaster could stir the already tense political situation ahead of a referendum on a draft charter, several analysts said.

No one knows how many are now homeless, reports CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen. Estimates range from 90,000 and up.

Hundreds of thousands of people are without clean drinking water, said Richard Horsey, a spokesman in Bangkok, Thailand for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The disaster puts the government's credibility on the line, as general anger could build if relief efforts are not accelerated.

There was little sign of official efforts to repair the damage in Yangon, but the worst-hit areas were in the countryside, now inaccessible by road because of storm damage.

"The combination of the cyclone and the referendum within a few days of each other makes an angry population angrier and vulnerable and makes the political situation more volatile" than it has been since last year's massive pro-democracy demonstrations, said Monique Skidmore, a Myanmar expert at Australian National University.

Last September, at least 31 people were killed and thousands more were detained when the military cracked down on peaceful protests led by Buddhist monks and democracy advocates.

"This is not likely to change anything, but this might just add to the discontent that is so evident in the society," said David Steinberg, a Myanmar expert at Georgetown University.

Relief Minister Maj. Gen. Maung Maung Swe said at the meeting with diplomats that the referendum could be postponed by "a few days" in the worst-affected areas, but state media indicated Monday that the May 10 date was still set.

The diplomats said they were told Myanmar welcomed international humanitarian aid including urgently needed roofing materials, medicine, water purifying tablets and mosquito nets. The first shipment of 9 tons was scheduled to arrive from Thailand on Tuesday.

The appeal for assistance was unusual for Myanmar's ruling generals, who have long been suspicious of the international organizations and have closely controlled their activities. Several agencies, including the International Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders, have limited their presence as a consequence.

Allowing any major influx of foreigners could carry risks for the military, injecting unwanted outside influence and giving the aid givers rather than the junta credit for a recovery. However, keeping out international aid would focus blame squarely on the military should it fail to restore peoples' livelihoods.

The cyclone was the greatest recorded natural disaster in Myanmar, also known as Burma, since a storm killed 2,700 people in 1926.

The government had apparently taken few efforts to prepare for the storm, which came bearing down on the country from the Bay of Bengal late Friday. Weather warnings were broadcast on television saying that winds could reach 120-150 mph and tides could rise as much as 12 feet above normal levels.

The bulletins did not urge citizens to take shelter.

Attempts to alert the public via the television would have been largely fruitless anyway because the electricity supply is so spotty in Myanmar that few households, especially in poor rural areas, would have seen the warning.

No firsthand reports have emerged from the worst hit areas of the delta, which are barely above sea level. The government has not given information on the cause of most of the deaths, but bamboo shanties with thatch or zinc roofs are standard housing in the area, and would have been swept way with their inhabitants by the onrushing tidal surge.

"Once the storm subsided, people were walking out to assess the damage and were shocked at everything around them," said Pamela Sitko, communication relief manager for the Asia-Pacific region for the private aid agency World Vision. "One 11-year-old boy said he had to run backwards to take shelter in a school during the storm because the wind was so strong."

World Vision said Myanmar's government had invited it "to provide assistance in the form of zinc sheets, tents, tarpaulins and medicine."

"The agency is coordinating with authorities to explore an airlift of emergency supplies into the country from one of its global warehouses," the group said in a statement.

"The biggest concern is communication because the electricity is down, running water has stopped, phone lines are down and it is difficult to assess the real needs because we can't reach the outer-lying regions," said Sitko.

Shari Villarosa, U.S. Charge D'Affairs in Rangoon, told CBS Radio News that once the storm cleared out, people were overwhelmed by the extent of the devastation.

"Everybody came out and was just stunned," Villarosa said. "People on my compound, who have been here 15 years, told me they have never seen anything like this here ever."

Residents of Yangon, a city of some 6.5 million, said they were angry that the government failed to properly warn them of the approaching storm and has so far done little to alleviate their plight.

"The government misled people. They could have warned us about the severity of the coming cyclone so we could be better prepared," said Thin Thin, a grocery store owner.

Yangon, where officials said 59 people died, was without electricity except where gas-fed generators were available and residents lined up to buy candles at double last week's prices.

With pumps not working, most homes were without water, forcing families to stand in long lines for drinking water and bathe in the city's lakes.

Most telephone land lines appeared to be restored by late Monday, but mobile phones and Internet connections were down.

With the city plunged into almost total darkness overnight, security concerns mounted, and many shops sold their goods through partially opened doors or iron grills. Looting was reported at several fresh food markets, where thieves took vegetables and other items.

Some in Yangon complained that the 400,000-strong military was only clearing streets where the ruling elite resided but leaving residents, including Buddhist monks, to cope on their own in most other areas.

"There are some army trucks out to clear the roads, but most of the work was done with a dah (knife) by the people. But some of these tree trunks are 4 feet thick," said Barry Broman, a retired U.S. State Department officer who was visiting Yangon when the cyclone struck. "Thousands of trees were uprooted. All the roads were blocked by the trees."

At Yangon's notorious Insein prison, 36 prisoners were killed and about 70 others wounded when guards opened fire during a moment of chaos when the storm hit Saturday, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an activist exile group based in Thailand.

Diplomats in Yangon gave a similar account, though a government official denied there were any deaths. Nearby residents said there had been a fire at the prison, but knew no other details.

Although relief talks with the government were still ongoing, the U.N.'s Horsey said it appeared the United Nations had the green light to send in a team to assess the storm's damage as early as Tuesday.

In Washington, the State Department said the U.S. Embassy in Yangon had declared the situation a "disaster" and authorized an emergency contribution of $250,000 to help with relief efforts. But it added that Myanmar's government had initially refused to allow a U.S. Disaster Assistance Response Team into the country to assess damage.

Washington has long been one of the ruling junta's sharpest critics for its poor human rights record and failure to hand over power to a democratically elected government.

Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. Its government has been widely criticized for suppression of pro-democracy parties such as the one led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for almost 12 of the past 18 years.

[pollroller1]

Some in Yangon complained that the 400,000-strong military was doing little to help victims after Saturday''s storm, only clearing streets where the ruling elite resided but leaving residents to cope on their own in most other areas.
Kinda reminds me of how our government does things.

[iplaydrums17]

actually I disagree with you pollroller1. you''re just jumping on the "make a generalized, broad, negative statement so I can feel better about myself to justify my lack of personal initiative or action" bandwagon. have you considered the recent flooding and tornado devastation in the midwest and southern states? there was quick response and assistance in arkansas, my home state, at least.
i do agree with most of my fellow Americans that our leadership has dropped the ball in so many arenas. but they are still our leaders and as fellow human beings, deserve our basic respect and support. i''ve never heard a leader say "you know, i wish i had more critics, i wish i had one more negative comment to keep me going thru the rest of the day. thats what i need." what would a country look like and act like if we were encouragers. Not blind to mistakes but ones to give the benefit of the doubt?
may I pose a question? not to elicit a guilt trip or become your personal conscience, but, what are you doing to help (besides paying your taxes)?

[nothappyatall]

Another god-rant kills innocent animals and people again...

[dorlockt]

Libs still call it Myanmar. LOL!!!

[lewiston14]

Keep the US out of it. If they can afford a 400,000 military they can afford to dig themselfs out.

[nonayabiness]

Tragic.

[pollroller1]

iplaydrums17 I''m glad that our government helped you guys. Didn''t do much for those poor blacks in Louisiana though.

[al2008-2009]

I%u2019m appalled at the administration''s lack of response to the global warming hurricanes. And now we have cyclones as well. We have no comprehensive strategy in place whatsoever, let alone a detailed plan of action to mitigate the effects of these cylcones, 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 the our leaders to implement a comprehensive antiglobal warming strategy at once and work in coordination with local, state,federal and internationsl 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.

[ringading3]

Howard Dean, who could not win on his run, has now decided that your votes don''t count! He and his hand picked "SUPERDELEGATES" will decide what is best for you. Now shut up and be good little DumboCraps! Florida and Michigan have been "Bad", so now they get to sit in the corner! YeeeeHaaaaa

[ringading3]

pollroller1,
I am from New Orleans, the poor blacks in Louisiana did not evacuate as they were told to. Many of them stay behind to LOOT and RAPE. When people came to get them off the roofs, they SHOT at the rescuers, who then stopped until they got MILITARY ESCORTS. The pathetic DUMBOCRAP Governor Blanco "froze" and almost had a nervous breakdown on TV!. She refused many times to let the President bring in the military, until the situation was out of control. She could not face the voters for another term, and is now in hiding! The buffoon Mayor Nagin, who designated New Orleans the Official Chocolate City, was re-elected and has done NOTHING for the CITY! That is how it truly is, from a lifelong resident of New Orleans.

[ringading3]

Blame eco-nuts like "AL2008" for the high price of gas and food!

[fibonacci_]

Why did God do this one?

[demslie]

I%u2019m appalled at the administration''''s lack of response to the global warming hurricanes. And now we have cyclones as well. We have no comprehensive strategy in place whatsoever, let alone a detailed plan of action to mitigate the effects of these cylcones, and mother earth continues to suffer while the administration refuses to go forward and do what%u2019s right for mother earth.

Posted by AL2008

Spoken Like a brainwashed Democrat idiot. And just how are we supposed to control Hurricanes? "And now we have cyclones??" What kind of stupid remark is that?? We have had weather events since the begining of time. But now Democrats can blame them on Bush. Democrats don''t give a DAMNN about the weather. They only care about being angry and blaming the worlds probems on America.

[demslie]

I%u2019m appalled at the administration''''s lack of response to the global warming hurricanes. And now we have cyclones as well.

Posted by AL2008

The "Union of Myanmar" is governed by a strict military regime. Myranmar spent Billions on weapons and building its military while the poor nation starves. The people The country is a socialist dictatorship run by geoncidal leaders who could not give a DAMNN about 10,000 dead citizens. But Democrats cannot bring themselves to say a bad word about the Myranmar Goverment. Democrats blame the death toll on Global Warming, George Bush and America.

[irliberal]

Democrats blame the death toll on Global Warming, George Bush and America.

Posted by demslie at 01:13 PM

To be sure, global warming plays a part in strength and frequency of hurricanes and cyclones.

The rest of your diatribe is just a partisan rant, as usual, and - in case you hadn''t figured this part out yet - rational people discard it completely.

[workingchump]

We need to look into the tornados we are having. I think global warming is to blame for them too. And now we also have "twisters".

[gheemaster38]

am from New Orleans, the poor blacks in Louisiana did not evacuate as they were told to. Many of them stay behind to LOOT and RAPE. When people came to get them off the roofs, they SHOT at the rescuers, who then stopped until they got MILITARY ESCORTS. The pathetic

RingADing3

Wow! Is that really what happened? Shoot at rescuers and Rape? I just hope they learn from the failures of the United States during Katrina and wont repeat the same mistakes this administration made. Maybe, we can help them like we are helping Iraq right now. What do you think?

[infe5]

"To be sure, global warming plays a part in strength and frequency of hurricanes and cyclones." - IRLiberal

Don''t put forth an assumption on your part as fact. Even the leading scientists who originally linked increased hurricane activity with global warming are now having doubts: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/12/hurricane-expert-reassesses-climate-link/

That''s the problem, there are NO conclusive studies on this yet. Don''t be a condescending tool when you have nothing to back it up.

[flsurferdude]

you idiots. if global warming causes so many more hurricanes and cyclones, explain why last year had the least amount of strong, violent, and deadly hurricanes in 13 years?

maybe global warming only works when something goes wrong. yeah.
that must be it.
global warming only exists when there''s something to blame on it.
new global warming theory.
it''s called the theory of global warming''s relation to natural disasters.

[nolalou]

flsurferdude , if your looking for the IDIOT try looking in the nearest mirror! First of all, more severe storms are a trend, it doesn''t mean they will happen exactly as predicted every year! Global Warming exists, even though your pea brain doesn''t believe it!

[fibonacci_]

Hey little tiny Christian brains - explain this one, please.

Instead of sticking to the story, all these wannabe poloticians sit on their fat duffs preaching. When a storm hits and destroys everything it its path, all I see are vulgar blogs from mostly morons who have nothing better to do but bash someone or blame it on an administration. GET A LIFE!!

[rheola-2009]

Hey little tiny Christian brains - explain this one, please.


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

Posted by fibonacci_ at 04:16 PM : May 05, 2008

You appear to be attempting to bait a particular person, surely he would have enough sense to realise exactly what your post''s are about.

[bobnjersey]

[you idiots. if global warming causes so many more hurricanes and cyclones, explain why last year had the least amount of strong, violent, and deadly hurricanes in 13 years?]
[Posted by flsurferdude at 03:15 PM : May 05, 2008]

why are you using a 13 year window? why not use a 500 millisecond window and use that to define a trend ... or the lack of one?

what''s the difference ... as long as it makes your case, right?

[whatisit21]

Putting global warming aside, These storms have hit this area of the world for centuries. About every 5 to 10 years a storm of this magnitude hits that area and about the same amount of people die. They have no where to run to because neighboring countries won''t let them cross the borders to safer areas. The entire country of Myanmar has been under water in the past.
On the matter of global warming, the United States and the rest of the developed world are the major contributors to global warming. Everybody would have to stop driving in order to stop the damage, and no American will do that.
It is a shame for American politicians to jump on the "we are holy and great wagon" When they know the people of Myanmar have no where to go when these massive storms hit. Even the monsoons are deadly to Myanmar.
Why don''t the great and holy Americans make the Junta in Mexico clean up their act instead of allowing Mexican drug cartels to operate in the American southwest and have control over Mexican politics in border towns?

[hbevis]

Well here we are again with people talking about global warming. Al Gore and many others are saying that the people on this earth are causing this global warming. There is not any doubt that the ice on the poles is melting. But at this point in time no one knows what is causing this warming. This earth has been warming and cooling for millions of years
These people are just like the ones talking against religion. A lot of Scientist are saying that our Universe started with their so called? BIG BANG %u201C. And I say to them, exactly where did this big bang take place? I have yet to receive an answer to that question. And I say to them that my thinking about the way the Universe was made by God is just as valid as what you are trying to tell me. No one knows 100

And Al Gore and others don%u2019t have an answer about this warming either.
This book that Gore wrote has some truth and some fiction. Some countries are not allowing this book to be used to teach children without telling them that parts of it are wrong.

[hbevis]

Another thing about global warming. Here in America we are told to quit doing anything that will contribute to this warming effect. And maybe we can slow it to some extent.
So, why don%u2019t we quit sending up these Space vehicles? Someone wrote that every time we send one up we generate as much pollution as the entire Country does in a year. Does anyone have any input on this question. This space business is a big money making deal for the big companies, and will not stop. I think that we can all place a bet on that.

[self_vs_god]

My *** grandmother lived in shack period. She shared with me when I was 7 years old that her *** roof of her shack was blown off when she was 95 years old. She was screwed up because she had altimers, This was because of a Tornado in Fayetteville Georgia. I look at these pictures of this storm and there is no *** way that these many people died. They want the money that has been allocated to the poverty of the world by Bush 770 million! This is always what happens when the world listens to what America allocates!

[gce65]

Laura: "George??? Where are you?"

W: "Under the bed. In George''s cage. George feel safe in cage."

Laura: "George, you need to do the press conference about the Cyclone."

W: "Ooo! Ooo! George love those. Can I get banana flavor with sprinkles on top?"

Laura: No, George, the storm cyclone. It''s what they call hurricanes over in Asia. They just had one in Myanmar."

W: "Where dat?"

Laura: "In Asia. What they used to call Burma."

W: "Ooo! George got pair of Burma shorts! George like shorts!"

Laura: "No, those are BerMUDA shorts."

W: "Did they have cycle-clones there?"

Laura to Press Secretary Dana Perino: "I''ll just do the press conference myself. Would you give the smirking chimp, er, uh, President his morning banana? He''s...in the cage."

Dana: "Yes ma''am."

Laura:"And watch your fingers! You know how he gets with his bananas."

[self_vs_god]

America is everybody Fluckin stool pidgeon to get the money allocated like Obamas fluckin 845 billion dollars.

[self_vs_god]

My grandmother at 95 could not expect to live the way these people claim they were hurt by this what the flukin! this is a joke that America will validate this!

[beehive21-2009]

You people are funny,global this,,that and the other,your all doomed sooner or later,that the gig,nothing lasts forever,especially,humans.
Give to the Red cross they need help.

[hbevis]

You people are funny,global this,,that and the other,your all doomed sooner or later,that the gig,nothing lasts forever,especially,humans.
Give to the Red cross they need help.

Posted by beehive21 at 07:11 PM : May 05, 2008

YOU ARE SO RIGHT. THE HUMAN RACE AND THE WORLD WILL BE GONE SOME DAY.

[self_vs_god]

My grandmother flukin life was at peril with the tornadoe that took off her roof in 1969? She even got the authorities in the early 70%u2019s to get her a new flukin new roof! Believe it or not there is no flukin way you will get who wrote this! There is always a calamity when there is money available to be had for anyone like Obamas 845 billion mula!

[tawpdawg11]

I wonder if they''ll want our help?

[pugster]

Why shouldn''t Myanmar refuse help from the US? US put those sanctions to Myanmar to make it such a backwarded country. The US funded the NED (National Endowment for Democracy) to make those Monks revolt. They got enough help from Thailand and India and don''t need Bush''s intervention.

[beehive21-2009]

self god... Yo moma wear combat boots.

[nonayabiness]

How Tragic. This story just keeps getting worse.

[singingrick]

onlythereal


Can you find that scripture that says that the sun revolves around the earth?

I like that one.


lol!

[singingrick]

Looks like the Myanmar government has been taking disaster management lessons from Bush and his Fema cronies.

[rushlimpdrug]

I wish I had the means to go help these folks in person. This is terrible.
Posted by libagenda at 06:29 AM


What''s stopping you?
Money?
Time?
Lack of caring?
Selfish interest?
God?

[honestabe8]

onlythereal: keep on posting biblical drivel. singinrick (libagenda) agrees with you. that should scare you. libagenda...go have biblical knowledge of yourself, you delusional POS

[honestabe8]

i wonder what singinrick would do if he were there. perhaps preach god''s love to those people. with any luck, this would be one of those cases where a missionary is slaughtered by those to whom they preach.

[honestabe8]

"Darwinian evolution has done a number on gullible minds. Talk about brainwashing" As opposed to christian brainwashing. Get them while they are young so they continue to believe that drivel.

[fibonacci_]

People who believe that the earth is only around 6000 years old are simply stupid.

[fibonacci_]

Go absolutely despised these people - saw them as the scum of the earth - especially the infants.

(this is irony, you idiotic Christians and other types of religious brains; the intention is to show your lack of logical thinking)

[fibonacci_]

I really laugh at people like singinrick and onlythereal - typical stupid of the stupidest Americans. You cannot be intelligent and be a fundamentalist any religion at the same time.

[Po Win]

It would be a boon if the Bush Administration provided aid to the United Nations knowing that our money is going to a reputable agency. In short, I can''t understand why India''s meteorological warning wasn''t heeded. The Burmese would have had two days to reach higher land. NASA, NOAA and the NRO could also have given adequate warning and provided information about response to the cyclone. In time, this will pass, but I pause to ponder why? This is tragic.

[Po Win]

It would be a boon if the Bush Administration provided aid to the United Nations knowing that our money is going to a reputable agency. In short, I can''t understand why India''s meteorological warning wasn''t heeded. The Burmese would have had two days to reach higher land. NASA, NOAA and the NRO could also have given adequate warning and provided information about response to the cyclone. In time, this will pass, but I pause to ponder why? This is tragic.