Updated 1 hour 14 minutes ago


Burma cyclone: 10,000 killed in one town. (AFP: Khin Maung Win)

Video: Burma 'failed to issue cyclone warning' (ABC News) Video: Aust offers aid to Burma (ABC News) Audio: Tim Costello talks about Burmese cyclone (The World Today) Audio: Burmese junta calls for foreign aid (The World Today) Audio: Witness talks about Burmese cyclone (ABC News) Audio: US offers Burma aid, chastises leaders (ABC News) Related Story: Aust gets green light to help cyclone-ravaged Burma Related Story: Burma cyclone kills 10,000 in one town Related Link: Cyclone Nargis gallery At least 15,000 people were killed in the Burmese cyclone and the toll was likely to rise as officials made contact with the worst-hit areas, the military government's foreign minister said.

Foreign Minister Nyan Win said on state television that 10,000 people had died in just one town, Bogalay, as he gave the first detailed account of what is emerging as the worst cyclone to hit Asia since 1991, when 143,000 people were killed in Bangladesh.

"In Irrawaddy Division the death toll amounts to more than 10,000," he said in a state television broadcast, in which he also said the military government welcomed outside assistance, an unprecedented green light to governments and aid agencies who want to help with the recovery.

"The missing is about 3,000. In Bogalay, the death toll is about 10,000," the minister said in the broadcast monitored outside of the Southeast Asian country.

Australian consular officials in Burma are still trying to track down dozens of Australians in the cyclone-ravaged country.

There are 157 Australians registered with the embassy in Burma, but it has only been able to confirm the safety of about half of those.

At this stage, the Foreign Affairs Department says there are no reports of Australian causalities

The United Nations and Burma's neighbours are scrambling to deliver food, clean water and shelter to survivors after the junta gave them permission.

The total left homeless by the 190 kilometre-per-hour winds and 3.5-metre storm surge is in the several hundred thousands, United Nations aid officials say, and could run into the millions.

In Rangoon, a city of 5 million, people were queueing up for bottled water and there was still no electricity four days after the vicious Cyclone Nargis struck the delta, rice bowl of the country of 53 million people.

Very few soldiers were seen clearing debris and trees, except at major intersections, residents in the former capital said. Monks and residents, using what tools they had, cut trees.
------------------
the pic is the Burmese mother who came with us through Burma and took us to meditate in many temples.
To all the Burmese brothers and sisters our prayers and thoughts are with you.
Mother we pray you are all ok.xxxxxx