The Myanmar Cyclone

May 6, 2008

The death toll from the Myanmar cyclone is now more than 15,000 people, Myanmar’s government has said. Two days ago they were reporting 350 dead. Yesterday it was 10,000 dead. Survivors were facing their third night without electricity in the aftermath of the historic cyclone that also clogged roads with thousands of downed trees.

Diplomats were summoned to a government briefing Monday as the reclusive southeast Asian country’s ruling military junta issued a rare appeal for international assistance in the face of an escalating humanitarian crisis. A state of emergency was declared across much of the country following the 10-hour storm that left swathes of destruction in its wake.

With a death toll of 15,000, the weekend cyclone would be the deadliest natural disaster to hit Myanmar in recent history, according to figures compiled by a U.N.-funded disaster database. The toll eclipses that from a 1926 wind storm the killed about 2,700 people in the country.

The government of neighboring Thailand said Myanmar’s leaders had already requested food, medical supplies and construction equipment. The first plane-load of supplies was due to arrive Tuesday, a Thai spokesman said. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement he was “deeply saddened by the loss of life and the destruction suffered by the people of Myanmar” and pledged to mobilize international aid and assistance as needed.

Scenes of the destruction showed extensive flooding, boats on their sides in Yangon harbor, roofs ripped off buildings, uprooted trees and downed power lines after cyclone Nargis battered the Irrawaddy delta with 150 mile (240 km/h) an hour winds throughout Friday night and Saturday morning, dumping 20 inches of rain. Watch how the cyclone crippled Yangon »

Residents of Yangon trudged through knee-deep swirling brown waters Monday as the delta city remained mostly without electricity and phone connections. Hell on earth- again in Southeast Asia.

Pray!

Written by Ernie · Filed Under Daily Commentary