Resident reports heavy death toll in island villages

May 11, 2008 (DVB)—Villages on Hainggyi and Pyin Khaing islands suffered a high death toll when Cyclone Nargis struck Irrawaddy division on 2 and 3 May, a local resident said on Friday.

A resident of Pyin Khaing spoke to DVB about the situation on the islands.

“I understand the situation is bad, very bad, with many people being killed. A lot of others also died in Labutta. In Sabo, a village with about 1,000 inhabitants near Pyin Khaing, almost 800 people were killed. There were also hired workers in the village because of the saltworks there. The people there are all homeless now.

“On Pyin Khaing island, the whole of Bonmathitkan village was swamped by the sea and the villagers have now moved on to the island. People from Sabo are also there and shops on Pyin Khaing island are not open because of the starving people there. I was told that if one were to open a teashop it would have been mobbed and all its supplies taken in a minute.

“The people are cyclone victims. I was informed that they were fed rice in the morning and rice porridge in the evening because supplies were running out. After about four days, cyclone victims were searching for coconuts and mangos to eat.

“Hainggyi can be seen from Pyin Khaing Island. It takes about two to three hours by boat. There is a naval base at Hainggyi and about 2,000 to 3,000 homes. I have not seen it but people say corpses are scattered everywhere in the bushes and there is a strong stench. Although I have not seen it, I have heard that boats have to manoeuvre around the reeking corpses. There is also a report of a cholera outbreak.

“The whole Kyaikkataung village has disappeared and many people were killed. I was told that only three people were left in one village, but I don’t know the name of that village. There are many small villages. Our Pyin Khaing has never been flooded before but I am told that the water is now waist high.”

DVB: Has humanitarian assistance started to arrive?

“I don’t think it has started in Pyin Khaing because they are doing it in Hainggyi first. It may be because Pyin Khaing is remote and people do not know about it. The assistance may perhaps begin in Pyin Khaing in the next few days. I was, however, informed by a young woman that they had been distributed two noodle packages to each person. In Settaik, they gave a can of rice to each person.

“I was told that more than 4,000 people died in Kyaikkataung village. From Pyin Khaing, we can reach Kyaikkataung in a motorboat in about two hours. I was also informed about the high death toll in Seton.”

Reporting by Aye Nai