Myanmar welcomes foreign aid for cyclone relief

Source: Xinhua | 05-06-2008 09:28

YANGON -- Myanmar said on Monday that the country welcomes foreign aid for relief and resettlement for the regions hit by deadly cyclone Nargis, the State Television reported on Monday night.

The government will also allocate 5 billion Kyats (4.5 million U.S. dollars) in the relief and resettlement undertakings, the report said, adding that a Thai aircraft with relief supplies will arrive in Yangon Tuesday.

The report said 67 powered vessels were sunk by Nargis.

At least 15,000 people have been killed in two divisions of Yangon and Ayeyawaddy in the violent cyclone storm that swept Myanmar's five divisions and states on last Friday and Saturday, said the TV report.

It is estimated that the casualties in Ayeyawaddy division's Bogalay alone will exceed 10,000 and at least 1,000 in Laputta in the same division.

Besides, 2,375 people in Ayeyawaddy division and 504 in Yangon division totaling 2,879 are missing, it said.

In Haing Kyi island in the Ayeyawaddy division alone, nearly 20, 000 houses were destroyed, leaving 92,706 people homeless, earlier report said.

The deadly cyclone, which occurred over the Bay of Bengal, hit five divisions and states -- Yangon, Bago, Ayeyawaddy, Kayin and Mon.

Myanmar has declared the five divisions and states as natural- disaster-hit regions.

The government has formed a national central committee for prevention of natural disaster to promptly and effectively carry out relief and resettlement tasks.

This is the first time that Myanmar has been hit by such a deadly cyclone in the history.

Editor:Du Xiaodan