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Myanmar death toll jumps to 77,738
The toll of dead and missing people in Myanmar soared to above 133,000 on Saturday as ruling military leaders took diplomats on a tour of worst-hit Irrawaddy delta.
- Agencies
- Published: 08:14 May 16, 2008
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Yangon: The toll of dead and missing people in Myanmar soared to above 133,000 on Saturday as ruling military leaders took diplomats on a tour of worst-hit Irrawaddy delta.
The junta on Friday raised the toll from the May 2 cyclone disaster to 77,738 dead and another 55,917 missing.
Disaster experts said the body count after Cyclone Nargis could yet rise dramatically as an estimated 2.5 million survivors struggle with aid shortages and disease.
Cases of cholera have been found and aid efforts have been hampered by heavy rain and the government's refusal to admit large-scale foreign relief.
"The situation has worsened in just two days," one aid volunteer said as children mobbed his vehicle, their grimy hands reaching through the window for something to eat.
Many storm refugees are crammed into monasteries and schools and are being fed and watered by local volunteers and private donors.
The European Union's top humanitarian officer, Louis Michel, continued to urge the generals to shelve their pride and paranoia.
"Time is life," he told reporters at Bangkok airport. "No government in the world can tackle such a problem alone. This is a major catastrophe."
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