Yangon:  The official death toll from Myanmar's devastating May 2-3 cyclone has jumped to nearly 78,000,state television reported today, marking an increase of about 35,000 over just a day earlier.

The number of missing doubled to 55,917,after being reported as 27,838 for most of the past week. The report also updated the number of injured to nearly 20,000.

The new cyclone death toll of 77,738 is substantially higher than that suffered by all but one country from the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Indonesia suffered more than 130,000 dead and 37,000 missing from that disaster.

The Red Cross said yesterday that said it believed the total cyclone death toll may be as high as 127,990. The United Nations has said more than 100,000 may have died.

The state TV announcement implied that the latest casualty toll may be close to the final figure.

"The national disaster management committee carried out search and rescue and relief work and collection of data, promptly, immediately and extensively after the cyclone," it said.

"However, due to the cyclone aftermath and inclement weather, the figure of dead, missing and injured was finalized on May 15."

The announcement said there were 159 civil servants among the dead and 58 among the missing.

The UN and the Red Cross say 1.6 million to 2.5 million people are in urgent need of food, water and shelter.

The UN said today that severe restrictions by Myanmar s military junta have left aid agencies largely in the dark about the extent of survivors suffering, two weeks after the deadly storm.

Source : PTI