Burma's cyclone death toll 'nears 4,000'

State media sources in Burma have announced that up to 4,000 people have been killed following a cyclone that hit the country on Saturday.

Earlier on Monday the same sources had put the death toll at 351.

The BBC is reporting that 3,969 people have been killed and a further 3,000 are missing. Five of Burma's regions have been declared disaster zones, and the United Nations are claiming several hundred thousand people in the country are in desperate need of shelter and drinking water.

The BBC also notes that it is impossible to tell exactly how many people have been affected because of damage to the roads and telephone systems.

Tropical Cyclone Nagris hit Burma on Saturday with wind speeds reaching 190km/h (120mph).