International agencies are pushing to gain access for a massive aid operation in Burma, where the toll from Saturday's cyclone continues to rise. State media say 10,000 people died in one town alone, and put the number of dead at 15,000. Hundreds of thousands of people are said to be without clean water and shelter, with some areas still cut-off.
Burma's leaders say they will accept external help, in a move correspondents say reflects the scale of the disaster. The military government has traditionally been suspicious of aid agencies, limiting their activities. But Andrew Kirkwood, Burma country director for Save the Children, said there are positive signs from the Burmese authorities.
"Every indication is that everyone realises that this is an unprecedented event in Myanmar's [Burma's] history and the government is much more open to international assistance than it has ever been." Mr Kirkwood said that responding to the devastation would be a major logistical feat, requiring boats and trucks.
Work is still under way to assess the scale of the devastation caused by the cyclone, which brought winds reaching 190km/h (120mph). In the low-lying Irrawaddy Delta region, the storm caused a sea surge that smashed through towns and villages. "Reports are coming out of the delta coast, particularly the Irrawaddy region, that in some villages up to 95% of houses have been destroyed," said Matthew Cochrane of the International Red Cross.
