Cyclone Nargis
The BBC has a general overview, Burmese storm toll ‘tops 10,000’, of the storm.
Dr. Jeff Masters has a more technical look at the storm, Cyclone Nargis:
A disaster of horrific proportions has befallen Myanmar, where the death toll is now over 4,000, with thousands more missing, in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. Nargis–a popular woman’s name in India–is the deadliest and most destructive tropical cyclone ever to hit Myanmar (Burma). The storm hit the coast of Myanmar Friday night as borderline Category 3/Category 4 cyclone, with winds of 130-135 mph. After passing over the low-lying and densely populated Irrawaddy River delta region, Nargis made a direct hit on the capital city of Rangoon.
Because of the secretive nature of the Burmese military government, it has taken days for the facts to start coming out about this disaster. Assistance will be complicated by the lack of relations to other nations that the military dictatorship has caused over the years.
2 comments
Yikes! Too bad about the Burmese military government; there are more than a few nations and NGOs around the world with both the expertise and the willingness to help… if they are permitted to do so safely.
One would certainly hope that they would realize they need the help, and let people provide it, but you can’t tell. Look at what happened after Katrina, people wanted to help but it was refused.
It never occurred to these idiots that accepting aid helps those who have received aid in the past feel better about themselves.
The generals are going to have to accept that they need the help, the groups offering the help aren’t trying to interfere in local politics, just to help other people.