By Xinhua,
Yangon : A diplomatic mission, organized by the Myanmar government, has been taken to some disaster-hit areas in the country Saturday by helicopters to look into the status of the areas after disaster, according to diplomatic sources.
It is the first time that the government made such move to allow foreigners to inspect the cyclone-torn regions in the aftermath of the disaster.
The diplomatic corps includes officials of resident United Nations organizations and foreign diplomats in Myanmar.
Deadly tropical cyclone Nargis, which occurred over the Bay of Bengal, hit five divisions and states — Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago,Mon and Kayin — on May 2 and 3, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon inflicted the heaviest casualties and infrastructural damage.
Hard-hit coastal towns in the southwestern Ayeyawaddy division include Haing Gyi Island, Laputta, Mawlamyinegyun, Bogalay, Phyarpon, Kyaiklat, Ngaputaw, and Dedaye, while worst-hit areas inYangon division comprised Kungyangon, Thanlyin, Kyauktan, Twantay,Kawmu as well as the Yangon city.
According to a latest official death toll released on Friday evening, as many as 77,738 people have been killed in the disaster with altogether 55,917 still missing and 19,359 injured.