Kingsbridge

The death toll from last weekend's devastating cyclone in south-west Burma has reached 15,000, the Burmese government has said.

Cyclone Nargis struck the low-lying Irrawaddy Delta region of the country in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Nyan Win, the Burmese Foreign Minister, also warned that 30,000 people are still missing as a result of Nargis, which brought winds reaching 120mph.

About two-thirds of the fatalities were reported in the town of Bogalay, which is about 90km (55 miles) south-west of Rangoon, the Burmese capital.

The towns of Laputta and Gyapor have also be been severely affected by the catastrophic storm.

Burmese authorities have declared five regions, with an estimated total population of 24 million, to be in a state of emergency including Yangon (Rangoon) Division, Pegu Division, Mon State, Karen State and the Irrawaddy Division.

This delta is considered to be the country's rice basket and there are growing concerns that the impact on food prices will be immediate.

According to Maung Maung Swe, Minister for Relief and Resettlement, more deaths were caused by the tidal wave than the cyclone itself.

Mr Maung Swe told a news conference in Rangoon on Tuesday: "The wave was up to 12ft (3.5m) high and it swept away and inundated half the houses in low-lying villages. "

"They did not have anywhere to flee."

International aid agencies working in Burma have reported scenes of complete devastation.

Chris Kaye, director for the World Food Programme in Burma, told the BBC World Service's World Today programme: "We have a major humanitarian catastrophe in our hands.

"The numbers of people in need are still to be determined, but I'm sure we're talking of hundreds and thousands.

"The concern that we have is in respect to shelter, water and sanitation.

"Those are the acute needs which need to be fulfilled as a matter of urgency, and to be able to address those is a prerequisite to ensuring that the humanitarian situation does not deteriorate."

Save the Children's staff are reporting up to 100,000 children and their families are without shelter.

"We are deeply concerned for children and their families during this time," said Ned Olney, Save the Children's vice president for International Humanitarian Response.

"With humanitarian access already restricted in the country, and communication lines severely affected by the storm, enormous numbers of children and their families are exposed and vulnerable unless assistance is immediately provided.

"We are working tirelessly to assess the needs of children and their families and to deliver life-saving supplies."

The British government has pledged an initial million euro in disaster relief.

The money will go toward supporting international organizations such as the United Nations, the International Red Cross and the World Food Program.

The article Burma death toll reaches 15,000 originally appeared on 999 Today