New York: The United Nations has estimated that around 1.5 million people have been "severely affected" by cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar last weekend.

Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar last Saturday, devastating large parts of the country.

The toll, which has been estimated at over 100,000 by western diplomats, is likely to rise further as rescue workers struggle to reach remote settlements, while the nationwide number of displaced people could reach millions.

John Holmes, UN under secretary general for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said the situation in the disaster-stricken country is extremely dangerous and the risk of epidemic is very high due to unsanitary conditions caused by rotting carcasses and corpses in towns and villages, as well as a lack of clean drinking water.

A state of emergency has been declared in the five worst hit areas - the Irrawaddy delta, the cities of Yangon and Pegu, and the states of Karen and Mon. Most of the deaths came in the low-lying Irrawaddy delta region.

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Source : IANS