Cyclone batters Myanmar, casualties feared

MYANMAR: Myanmar residents awoke Sunday to devastation after tropical cyclone Nargis tore through city streets, battered buildings, sank boats and caused unknown casualties, officials said.

The cyclone has also ripped down power and phone lines, cutting off the military-run nation just a week before a crucial referendum on its new constitution, the first polling in Myanmar since general elections in 1990.

The main city of Yangon was hard hit, with traffic lights, billboards and street lamps littering the streets after being blown over by the strong winds that swept through on Saturday, an AFP reporter on the scene said.

Trees have been uprooted, crushing buildings and cars. Five central and southern regions Yangon, Ayeyawaddy, Bago, Mon and Karen states have all been declared disaster areas, an official at the information ministry told AFP. "So far we know there were casualties (deaths), but we cannot release the details yet as we are still collecting information," he said.

"We also deployed military units for rescue and rehabilitation projects. Now the military and police have started to clean the city," he said.

Yangon, Sunday, AFP