Cyclone damage being assessed in Rangoon. Photo: Reuters.
Some aid is beginning to reach victims of the cyclone that hit Burma on Saturday, killing hundreds of people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Both Burmese officials and international agencies are working to assess the scale of the disaster, with five regions declared disaster zones. State media said more than 350 people were killed and thousands of buildings destroyed by the storm, state media said. But a referendum on a new constitution will still go ahead on 10 May, it said. Burma's leaders say the referendum will pave the way for multi-party elections in 2010, but critics say the charter is aimed primarily at further entrenching military rule. UN and international aid agencies are meeting today in the Thai capital, Bangkok, to co-ordinate their response to the disaster
