Myanmar cyclone death toll climbs to 28,458

YANGON, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of Myanmar's cyclone disaster rose to 28,458 from 23,335, according to a brief news report of the state TV Sunday evening.

Altogether 33,416 people remained missing, down from 37,019, the report said.

A deadly tropical cyclone Nargis, which occurred over the Bay of Bengal, hit five divisions and states -- Yangon, Bago, Ayeyawaddy, Kayin and Mon in the last weekend, of which Ayeyawaddyand Yangon sustained the heaviest casualties and infrastructural damage.

Affected coastal towns in the southwestern Ayeyawaddy division include Haing Gyi Island, Pathein, Myaungmya, Laputta, Mawlamyinegyun, Kyaiklat, Phyarpon and Bogalay.

Myanmar declared the five divisions and states as natural-disaster-hit regions a day after the cyclone hit the country.

However, Bago, Mon and Kayin as well as some five townships of Yangon division and 19 townships of Ayeyawaddy division were withdrawn from being the natural-disaster-hit areas status on Tuesday with a claim that these areas had basically returned to normal.

A total of 40 townships in Yangon division and 7 townships in Ayeyawaddy division have still remained as the natural-disaster-hit areas status where relief and rehabilitation work are under way.