Cyclone kills 350 in Myanmar

2008-05-04 18:00

Yangon - At least 351 people were killed when tropical cyclone Nargis tore through Myanmar, battering buildings, sinking boats and sending uprooted trees flying through the air, officials said on Sunday.

Residents woke on Sunday to scenes of devastation after the cyclone bore through swathes of southern Myanmar late on Friday and Saturday, ripping up power lines and pummeling buildings.

The authorities have declared disaster zones in the five states and regions of Yangon, Ayeyawaddy, Bago, Mon and Karen.

A week before referendum

The cyclone also brought down power and phone lines, cutting off the military-run nation just a week before a crucial referendum on its new constitution, the first polling in Myanmar since general elections in 1990.

The coastal area of Ayeyawaddy appears worst hit by the natural disaster, but Yangon was also battered.

Traffic lights, billboards and street lamps littered the roads after being blown over by the strong winds.

Trees in the leafy city were uprooted, crushing buildings and cars, while the water pipes were also cut, forcing people out onto the streets with buckets to try and buy water from the few shops that remained open.

An information ministry official said that seven empty boats had sunk in the country's main port, while Yangon's international airport was closed until further notice with flights diverted to the city of Mandalay.

Police and military called in

"We also deployed military units for rescue and rehabilitation projects. Now the military and police have started to clean the city," the official said.

There were also fears that the poorer outlying areas of Yangon with their flimsy houses might have been hard hit.

- AFP