Cyclone toll climbs beyond 20,000

Last Modified: 06 May 2008
By: Jonathan Rugman

Number of dead and missing in Burma increases dramatically, as junta forced to accept foreign aid.

Cyclone Nargis has killed at least 22,000 people and left 41,000 missing, according to the Burmese government tonight.

Around 10,000 people are estimated dead, and 95% of homes destroyed, in the town of Bogale alone.

With winds reaching 120 miles per hour, Cyclone Nargis approached the southern Burmese coast from the Bay of Bengal at midnight on Friday.

Haing Gyi island was one of the first places to be battered. By noon on Saturday the cylone was sweeping across the Irrawaddy river delta, destroying several towns in its path.

By midnight on Saturday, Burma's main city, Rangoon, was hit. Food and water are now running low in the former capital. The cylone then hit the Pegu region, severely damaging several towns.

Save the Children interview

Watch an interview with Andrew Kirkwood from Save the Children in Burma who explains the situation following the cyclone.

'A million' homeless

Across the country, the cylone has left hundreds of thousands homeless, possibly up to a million.

The devastating effect of the cyclone on Burma's population has convinced the country's secretive military leaders to swallow their pride and accept outside help.

Some aid has already started to arrive, but there are political and logistical difficulties that have to be overcome. US naval teams are on standby to help with the search and rescue operation, and President Bush is urging the Burmese regime to allow them in.

Our diplomatic correspondent, Jonathan Rugman, reports on the international response to the crisis.