Myanmar

Government claims big referendum turnout but raises cyclone death toll

Article published on the 2008-05-11 Latest update 2008-05-11 13:05 TU

Yangon residents queue for water - not to vote
(Photo: Luc Auberger)

Myanmar's military government says that the death-toll from Cyclone Nargis now stands at 28,458 - 5,000 higher than previous official estimates. Despite the devastation caused by the cyclone, which hit the country on 3 May, the régime says that there was a "massive turnout" in the referendum to change the consitution on Saturday.

The government says that over 33,000 people are still missing and another 37,000 are injured. Diplomats have put the figure much higher and aid groups warn that all those totals are likely to rise unless rescue efforts drastically improve.

The govenrment earlier insisted that its agencies must distrtibute aid and refused visas to several foreign aid workers. Three UN disaster assessment experts are currently waiting for visas in Thailand.

British Foreign Secretary David Milliband accused the military rulers of "malign neglect" in an interview with the BBC but dismissed the idea, floated by French and US politicians, of dropping aid without official permission as "not very effective".  

French charity Médécins du Monde today said that it has received permission to distribut the aid it is sending, while the UN says that a flight carrying water purification equipment is set to arrive soon.

The Red Cross says that a cargo plane carrying 35 tonnes of aid has landed in Yangon. It was carrying medical supplies that could treat 250 patients and provice three months basic health care for 10,000 people.