Feature: Deadly cyclone changes face of Myanmar's biggest city

Some people in Myanmar's biggest city of Yangon were busy with cutting and clearing fallen trees Saturday afternoon in the wake of a midnight-to-noon violent and deadly cyclone storm Nargis, which Yangon residents have never experienced in the past six decades.

Taking the interval that the cyclone stopped on Saturday afternoon, housewives were also seen rushing for food after they were trapped for over 10 hours at home without food from Friday midnight when the Nargis, which occurred on the Bay of Bengal, stormed the under-developed old capital.

The terrible cyclone, at a wind speed of about 192 kilometers per hour, has almost totally devastated the former capital.

Major infrastructures related to municipality, telecommunications, transport, electric power and water supply as well as private apartment buildings were hard hit by the severe cyclone.

Observers here estimate that it needs years of endeavors to rebuild the city.

On Friday midnight, the Nargis started to emerge amid warning. As the storm wind became stronger, people woke up to witness the onslaught of the cyclone all night. With wind blowing sound turning louder, many zinc roofs atop various buildings were torn off one after another, falling on streets amid the heavy rain.

Windows were crushed, satellite dishes were stricken to deformation, dropping from atop.

Almost all giant commercial advertisement signboards were even blown to pieces scattering on the streets.

Unable to withstand the strong wind, many big and old-aged trees on the streets, gardens and private residences fell one after another, turning Yangon into a forest city overnight.

The storm also cut off electricity in the city.

Buses stopped running and all flight and train schedules were suspended.

The Nargis has lashed coastal regions of the country's southwestern Ayeyawaddy division since Friday morning, covering Haing Gyi Island, Pathein, Myaungmya, Laputta, Mawlamyinegyun, Kyaiklat, Phyarpon and Bogalay.

The State Radio confirmed in a night broadcast that some of these areas were almost totally destroyed.

Up to five vessels capsized in the Yangon Port, and an investigation is underway for casualties and loss.

Meanwhile, Myanmar declared three divisions Yangon, Bago and Ayeyawaddy and two states Kayin and Mon as natural-disaster-hit regions.

A national central committee for prevention of natural disaster was also formed with Prime Minister General Thein Sein as Chairman to promptly and effectively carry out relief and resettlement tasks.