- The AP

Multimedia for Myanmar cyclone:

http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_international/myanmar_cyclone/index.html

May 4, 2008 (all times Eastern Daylight Time)

a0443 7:58 a.m.

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YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ U.N. official says Myanmar state media reporting that more than 240 people have died from Tropical Cyclone Nargis.

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UN official: 243 dead after powerful cyclone in Myanmar

Eds: APNewsNow. UPDATES with U.N. official saying state media reporting 243 dead. Will be led.

AP Photos XIN102, XIN106, XIN105, NY113

By AYE AYE WIN

Associated Press Writer

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ Myanmar's state-run television is reporting that more than 240 people have died from a powerful cyclone, a U.N official says.

Chris Kaye, the U.N's acting humanitarian coordinator, said state-run television reported that 243 people have died from Tropical Cyclone Nargis.

He said thousands of homes have destroyed, mostly in the low-lying Irrawaddy delta.

Witnesses say Saturday's cyclone blew the roofs off hundreds of houses and knocked out power in all of Yangon, the country's main city.

The military-run Myaddy television station says five regions of the country have been declared disaster zones.

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Report: 241 dead in Myanmar after cyclone hits the country

Eds: UPGRADES attribution and lowers number of deaths to 241, ADDS detail and RESTORES previous.

AP Photos XIN102, XIN106, XIN105, NY113

By AYE AYE WIN

Associated Press Writer

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ More than 240 people were killed and thousands of homes were destroyed by a powerful cyclone that swept through Myanmar, state-run media said Sunday.

Five regions of the impoverished country have been declared disaster zones following the storm, which struck early Saturday, the military-run Myaddy television station said.

State-run television reported that 241 people died in the storm, nearly 222 of them from the country's low-lying Irrawaddy delta. The rest were killed in Yangon, which was devastated and left without electricity.

"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."

Kaye said he was told earlier in the day by the government that 138 people have died and that thousands of homes were destroyed.

The U.N. planned to send teams Monday to assess the damage, he 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. Some people expressed anger that the military-led government 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 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.

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.

May 4, 2008 (all times Eastern Daylight Time)

a0464 9:50 a.m.

BC-APNewsAlert,0031

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ State-run television says more than 350 people have died from Tropical Cyclone Nargis.

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a0466 10:01 a.m.

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URGENT

Powerful cyclone kills at least 351 people in Myanmar, state-run TV reports

Eds: APNewsNow. UPDATES with 351 dead in cyclone; will be led.

AP Photos XIN102, XIN106, XIN105, NY113

By AYE AYE WIN

Associated Press Writer

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ Myanmar's state-run television reports that a powerful cyclone has killed at least 351 people.

State-run television says the toll from Tropical Cyclone Nargis includes 109 who lived on Haing Gyi island located off the country's southwest coast.

A U.N. official said earlier that thousands of homes have been destroyed, mostly in the low-lying Irrawaddy delta.

The military-run Myaddy television station says five regions of the country have been declared disaster zones.

Doc: 00156390 DB: research_d_2008_2 Date: Sun May 4 10:16:44 2008

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Powerful cyclone kills at least 351 people in Myanmar, state-run TV reports

Eds: UPDATES with color from the scene, quotes from nongovernmental organizations; RESTORES pvs.

AP Photos XIN102, XIN106, XIN105, NY113

By AYE AYE WIN

Associated Press Writer

YANGON, Myanmar (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.

Five regions of the impoverished Southeast Asian country have been declared disaster zones following Tropical Cyclone Nargis, which struck early Saturday with winds of up to 120 mph, the military-run Myaddy television station said.

It said at least 351 people were killed, including 109 who lived on Haing Gyi island off the country's southwest coast. Many of the others died in the low-lying Irrawaddy delta.

In the Irrawaddy's Labutta township, 75 percent of the buildings had collapsed, state television said.

The U.N. planned to send teams Monday to assess the damage, he 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.

Domestic flights have been diverted to the airport in Mandalay, it said.

"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.

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.

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.

Doc: 00158029 DB: research_d_2008_2 Date: Sun May 4 21:43:35 2008

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Powerful cyclone kills at least 351 people in Myanmar, concerns emerge about international aid

Eds: AMs. ADDS UN comment. AP Video.

AP Photo XIN102, XIN105, XIN106, BK103, BK105

AP Graphic MYANMAR CYCLONE

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ A powerful cyclone killed more than 350 people and destroyed thousands of homes, state-run media said Sunday. Some dissident groups worried that the military junta running Myanmar would be reluctant to ask for international help.

Tropical Cyclone Nargis hit at a delicate time for the junta, less than a week ahead of a crucial referendum on a new constitution. Should the junta be seen as failing disaster victims, voters who already blame the regime for ruining the economy and squashing democracy could take out their frustrations at the ballot box.

Some in Yangon complained the 400,000-strong military was doing little to help victims after Saturday's storm.

"Where are all those uniformed people who are always ready to beat civilians?" said a trishaw driver 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."

Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962. Its government has been widely criticized for human rights abuses and 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.

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.

The Forum for Democracy in Burma and other dissident groups outside of Myanmar urged the military junta Sunday to allow aid groups to operate freely in the wake of the cyclone _ something it has been reluctant to do in the past.

It would be difficult for other countries to help unless they received a request from Myanmar's military rulers.

The U.N. said from New York that a disaster assessment and coordination team has been organized and was on standby to assist the Myanmar government and was prepared to help mobilize more international aid.

The storm's 120 mph winds blew the roofs off hospitals and cut electricity to the country's largest city.

Shari Villarosa, the top American diplomat in Yangon, said the storm's whipping winds and torrential downpour had caused "major devastation throughout the city."

"The Burmese are saying they have never seen anything like this, ever," Villarosa told The Associated Press. "Trees are down. Electricity lines are down. Our Burmese staff have lost their roofs."

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

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.

Yangon residents also said Sunday that the price of gasoline had jumped from $2.50 to $10 a gallon on the black market and everything from eggs to construction supplies had tripled.

The state-owned newspaper New Light of Myanmar, meanwhile, reported that the international airport in Yangon remained shut but state-run television said it could be opened by Monday. Domestic flights have been diverted to the airport in Mandalay.

The cyclone came only days before a May 10 referendum 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.

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