Kyaukphyu, Arakan State: Thousands of people in western Burma have been forced from their homes by Cyclone Giri and have appealed to government officials for immediate assistance, sources from Kyaukpru said.
The cyclone struck Burma’s western coast on October 22 near Kyaukphyu, with winds reaching as high as 110 kilometers an hour, according to international media reports.
The storms have also left many residents without adequate food and water, the reports said.
“We are suffering without food and fresh water after the storm struck, said an area resident.
Myanmar’s military government has made no announcement about damage or casualties, but a senior military official at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement said there had been at least one death, a girl killed by a falling tree, area sources said.
“We are still surveying the damage while carrying out relief work,” an area official said on condition of anonymity. “Relief goods are being sent by boat and air.”
Meanwhile, unusually heavy rains in Thailand have caused the worst flooding there in decades. State-run Narenthorn Emergency Medical Centre put the death toll at 38, up from 32 the previous day.
Coastal areas of Burma have often been the target of deadly storms. More than 130,000 people were killed or went missing when Cyclone Nargis struck the Irrawaddy Delta region in May 2008.
Residents in Kyaukphyu said damage was extensive, with thousands of bamboo and thatch structures damaged by Cyclone Giri.
Nearly 4,000 people were seeking refuge at shelters run by Buddhist monks and other citizens, residents said.
“Monks and private citizens are providing people with whatever food they can spare, given their limited resources.”
Residents also feared for the safety of the inhabitants of Kyunthaya and Ngapathon islands off the western coast of Burma.
On the mainland, embankments have given way and low-lying areas have been inundated by a tidal surge.
http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2854:cyclone-giri-ravages-western-arakan-&catid=127:october-2010&Itemid=2
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