Storm brings government to a standstill

Mizzima News

Saturday, 03 May 2008 22:27

The Nargis cyclone, which today hit Burma's former capital of Rangoon, has caused several institutions of the military junta's ruling mechanism to grind to a halt. Telephone lines and electricity have been cut-off, and Burma's only public television and radio stations have been off air, while Internet connections have been down since Friday. With such government mechanisms out of service, residents in Rangoon remain unaware of even the state-of-emergency declared by the government. Filled with debris and devastation, several streets in Rangoon remain sealed-off, and authorities have restricted the entry of vehicles and trains to Rangoon. The few shops open after the storm were crowded with customers, as residents rushed to buy food rations. While prices of the commodities currently remain nearly the same as before the cyclone struck, early signs of inflation are apparent. An official at the electric department said that with major electric poles uprooted, it will take nearly a month before authorities can restore electricity in Rangoon to its pre-storm level. Mizzima's correspondents in Rangoon report that at least five people have been killed by the storm since Friday evening. The casualties resulted from uprooted trees and debris from buildings being thrown into the air. Rangoon, called the city of bountiful trees and flowers. now appears shorn of all its greenery. While residents are seen working diligently to clean streets of debris and the general chaos the storm caused, members of government-backed civilian organizations and local authorities are nowhere to be seen. Apart from a few residences that use generators, the rest of Rangoon is in a blackout. < Prev   Next >