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Cyclone Nargis Death Toll Rises

By gregladen on May 6, 2008.

The Myanmar/Burma death toll is now experiencing the usual effects of poor information, limited reporting, and the outcome of being stuck between sensationalism and horror.

Most agencies are reporting 22,000 dead with twice that missing. I do think that these numbers are meaningless at this point, as the Junta government can't be trusted to be able to deliver this sort of information, and aid agencies are only now arriving on the scene.

About 50 million people live in the country,

The main cause of death appears to have been a storm surge that swept across towns and villages in the low lying Irrawaddy River delta, drowning large numbers of individuals. In one town, Bogalay, 10,000 people are said to have died as a result of the 3-4 meter high wave.

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What are the chances this crisis (and the junta's criminally irresponsible handling thereof) will be the catalyst that brings down the regime?

(Cut me some slack: I'm desperately looking for a silver lining here).