YANGON, Myanmar — At least 15,000 people were killed and up to 30,000 missing as a result of a huge storm surge that accompanied a catastophic cyclone in Myanmar's Irrawaddy delta, Thailand's foreign minister, Noppadol Pattama, told Reuters news agency Tuesday.
The country's ruling junta, which has spurned the international community for decades, urgently appealed for foreign aid at a meeting Nyan Win held with diplomats Monday in Yangon. Foreign governments were poised Tuesday to rush aid to the devastated nation.
The United States, which has slapped economic sanctions on the country, said it likewise stood ready. The U.S. Embassy is providing $250,000 in immediate aid from existing emergency fund. But First Lady Laura Bush said Monday the U.S. would provide further aid only if one of its own disaster teams is allowed into the country.
The appeal for assistance was unusual for Myanmar's ruling generals, who have long been suspicious of the international organizations
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