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SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said the Singapore embassy in Yangon is closely monitoring the situation in Myanmar, in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis.
It has been in touch with most members of the Singapore community there and will continue to try to contact the remainder. So far, the MFA said no Singaporean has been injured in the cyclone.
Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo has written to his counterpart, U Nyan Win, to convey his sympathies and offer humanitarian assistance.
Meanwhile, Myanmar nationals in Singapore have come together to collect donations for victims of the cyclone. According to the Burmese Overseas Patriot, several shopkeepers from Peninsula Plaza have raised almost S$2,000, which will go towards relief efforts.
Cyclone Nargis left almost 4,000 dead after making landfall over the weekend. It also wrecked thousands of buildings and knocked out power lines.
A UN official said Myanmar will allow international aid, as hundreds of thousands are left homeless and without clean water.
Some passengers arrived from Myanmar on Monday afternoon via Silkair Flight MI 511 and they were the first to touch down in Singapore from Myanmar, since Cyclone Nargis hit the country on Saturday.
Channel NewsAsia understands that many flights out of Myanmar had to be cancelled because of the cyclone. For many, it was a close shave.
"There were a lot of damage to the city. There were no communications, no network, no airport open, no trains open. It's completely shut down," said one passenger.
For the Singapore tourists, they are simply grateful to be back.
One of them said: "We were on our way down from a hill when the cyclone struck. The trees at the bottom had all fallen and so we were stranded at the top."
Tour agencies told Channel NewsAsia that many customers have cancelled or rescheduled their flights to Myanmar. However, many others are booking tickets to fly to the country as they are anxious to find out if their loved ones are safe.
Lim Yin Yin Aye, Director, Myanmar Travels & Tours, said: "They are waiting for the flights to let them know what the situation is over there, then we will know what the next move will be. But some of the Burmese families will be going back to see their relatives."
UN officials said it would take days to establish a clear picture of the extent of the disaster. - CNA/vm
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