YANGON, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has so far salvaged 32 vessels out of 40 sunk during a severe storm that struck Myanmar last May, the local weekly journal Flower News reported Sunday.

    Further efforts are being made to do so on the remaining eight sunk vessels and it is expected that the salvage work will complete before the end of this year, the report said.

    According to earlier local report, over 200 powered watercrafts which berthed at the Yangon Port, were totally spoiled by cyclone Nargis in addition to the sunk ones.

    Reports also said the Myanmar authorities have carried out prompt repair of cyclone-ravaged jetties in Yangon to ensure speedy and normal flow in of commodities from other parts of the country.

    Meanwhile, Myanmar is taking preventive measures to deal with vessels against probable comeback of cyclone strike, designating hide-out areas for the vessels berthing in the Yangon River to escape, aimed at minimizing the damage and loss if be the case once again in the future.

    There are altogether 100 vessels owned by the department operating in the Yangon river and if such storm recurs, these vessels are to be moved to the disaster-safe areas, the Inland Water Transport Department said.

    Deadly cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar's five divisions and states --Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago, Mon and Kayin on last May 2 and 3, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon inflicted the heaviest casualties and massive infrastructure damage.

    The storm has killed 84,537 people and left 53,836 missing and 19,359 injured, according to official death toll.