Timeline

May 2/3 Tropical cyclone Nargis, packing winds of up to 190km per hour, strikes the low-lying Irrawaddy delta, the rice-bowl of Burma, and later hits Rangoon, its largest city. A tidal surge – nearly 5 metres high – floods the delta and as far as 35km inland. Rangoon is left without power as electricity poles and trees are uprooted by the stormMay 4 State TV reports 350 people dead and tens of thousands homeless. Five regions, including Rangoon, are declared disaster zones May 5 Authorities say the death toll from the disaster may exceed 10,000 and issue a rare appeal for international help. Hours later, Laura Bush, wife of the US president, criticises the regime as “very inept” May 6 Official toll rises to 22,000, with 40,000 missing. The regime postpones voting in the constitutional referendum in disaster zones until May 24 but says voting elsewhere will proceed on May 10. President George W. Bush offers to send US naval ships to help with relief May 7 The UN complains of bureaucratic delays hampering aid efforts, including authorities’ refusal to grant visas to UN disaster relief experts, and slow clearances for flights carrying emergency supplies. Top US envoy to Burma warns death toll may reach 100,000. May 8 First UN relief flights arrive but aid workers still kept out. The UN secretary-general calls on the regime to delay the constitutional vote and focus on reliefMay 9 State media says Burma will welcome material aid but does not want foreign relief workers

Burma’s ruling junta was on Friday night locked in a stand-off with the international community after flatly refusing to allow foreign aid workers into the country to tackle the impact of the recent cyclone disaster.

Amid clear indications that between 60,000 and 100,000 people are now dead or missing in the region, the Burmese junta said it was prepared to receive offers of aid from foreign sources, including the US.