By Xinhua,
Yangon : Myanmar top leader Senior-General Than Shwe instructed local authorities to set up orphanages for children whose parents were killed in the cyclone, according to Tuesday’s state TV news report at noon.
Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, made the instructions during his Monday tour to cyclone-hit areas in southwestern Ayeyawaddy division.
He called for such establishment in the division’s hardest-hit townships of Laputta and Pyapon, the report said, adding that for the moment, these orphans so far found were accommodated in Maubinand Myaungmya, the lesser-hit areas in the division, as a special program of the relief work.
Than Shwe made his first trip to cyclone-hit areas in Yangon’s suburban townships of Hlaingtharya and Dagon Myothit (Both South and West) on Sunday and then to Kungyangon Yangon division and Dedaye and Phyapon in Ayeyawaddy division on Monday, meeting with cyclone victims there and gave guidance on the relief and resettlement work there.
Meanwhile, Myanmar announced that the government has increased spending of up to over 50 billion Kyats (over 45.45 million dollars) for relief use from 20 billion Kyats previously allotted.
A 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 massive infrastructural damage including religious buildings, schools, hospitals, vessels, animals, crops cultivation, forest and ration.
According to an updated official death toll, as many as 77,738 people have been killed with 55,917 still missing totaling 133,655in the disaster. The number of the injured was 19,359.