YANGON, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar designated on Monday three days of mourning for cyclone disaster starting from Tuesday to Thursday, according to an announcement of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) aired by the state radio in the evening.

    The announcement, signed by First Secretary of the SPDC Lieutenant-General Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo, sets the mourning activities to start on Tuesday at 9 a.m. (local time) with the state flag to fly half-mast.

A boy plays outside his home which was destroyed by Cyclone Nargis, outside Yangon May 19, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    A deadly tropical cyclone Nargis, which occurred over the Bay of Bengal, hit five divisions and states -- Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago, Mon and Kayin on May 2 and 3, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangoninflicted the heaviest casualties and massive infrastructural damage including religious buildings, schools, hospitals, vessels, animals, crops cultivation, forest and ration.

    According to an updated official death toll, as many as 77,738 people have been killed with 55,917 still missing totaling 133,655in the disaster. The number of the injured went to 19,359. 　

A girl reads a book as she hangs wet clothes on logs to dry at a village hit by Cyclone Nargis, outside of Yangon May 19, 2008. Buddhists in Cyclone Nargis-hit Myanmar celebrated the Kason festival, or Vesak Day, on Sunday marking the enlightenment of Buddha.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Myanmar agrees to accept ASEAN-led cyclone relief efforts

    SINGAPORE, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar agreed at a special meeting here Monday to let the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) coordinate foreign assistance for Cyclone Nargis victims, Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo announced. Full story

WHA opens with mourning for China, Myanmar disaster victims

   GENEVA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The 61st World Health Assembly (WHA) opened here on Monday with one-minute mourning for disaster victims in China and Myanmar. Full story

High-ranking foreign officials look into Myanmar cyclone relief works

    YANGON, May 19 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Office Minister Lord Malloch Brown and Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Hitoshi Kimura are currently in Yangon to look into the status of Myanmar's relief and resettlement works in the aftermath of the cyclone disaster, the state-run newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Monday. Full story

UN chief to visit cyclone-hit Myanmar to accelerate relief efforts

  UNITED NATIONS, May 18 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will travel to Myanmar this week to accelerate relief efforts in the wake of the devastation wreaked by Cyclone Nargis, which hit the country on May 2.Full story

ASEAN FMs meet in Singapore on aid to Myanmar

   SINGAPORE, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers of Southeast Asian nations are meeting here Monday to discuss help for cyclone-hit Myanmar. Full story

UN humanitarian official visits Myanmar after disaster

  YANGON, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations John Holmes arrived here Sunday evening to look into the relief status of Myanmar in the aftermath of a cyclone storm that hit part of the country early this month. Full story