May 4, 2008 (DVB) – There have been reports of severe damage and losses in Rangoon which was hit by the recent storm.Watch Latest Video Clip

Trees and power lines were blown down, blocking the streets and making it impossible for vehicles to travel around the city and people have been travelling on foot.

The leafy part of Kandawgyi area was also devastated, with uprooted trees everywhere. The nearby zoo was also damaged severely and animals are running amok, according to eyewitnesses.

As there is no tree left standing around the revered Shwedagon Pagoda compound, it could be seen from afar, according to Rangoon residents.

According to a local resident, a nail for fixing the corrugated iron currently costs 100 kyat and a sheet of corrugated iron 10,000 kyat , but no one is allowed to buy more than 10 sheets at a time.

"If there is no help from the international community within days, there will be more difficulties. Roads are still blocked", a local resident told DVB.

At Rangoon, a bottle of pure drinking water currently costs 600 kyat a bottle and a gallon of petrol costs 8000 kyat.

Reporting by Aye Naing