Yangon: Myanmar's junta warned today of legal action against people who hoard or trade aid supplies meant for the survivors of a cyclone that may have killed up to 1,28,000 people, the first indirect acknowledgment of problems with relief operations.

The official death toll, meanwhile, rose today with state television reporting 43,318 fatalities from Cyclone Nargis.

The UN and the Red Cross say 1.6 million to 2.5 million people are in urgent need of food, water and shelter. Only 2,70,000 have been reached so far by aid groups.

Reports have emerged that foreign aid was being sold openly in markets and the military was pilfering and diverting aid for its own use. New York-based Human Rights Watch said yesterday that the military had seized high-energy biscuits that came from abroad and distributed low-quality, locally produced biscuits to survivors.

State radio obliquely denied the military was misappropriating aid.

"The government has systematically accepted donation and has distributed the relief goods immediately and directly to the victims," it said. "Effective legal action will be taken against those who hoard, sell or buy, use or misuse the international or local donations or relief goods or cash to the cyclone victims."

The new official death toll was an increase of almost 5,000 from yesterday s figure. The number of missing has remained at 27,838 for at least two days.

Source : PTI