国际英语新闻：Cyclone death toll rises to 147 in Bangladesh

DHAKA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi government on Thursday confirmed 147 people were killed in the cyclone Aila which battered the country's southwestern coast on Monday.

    Spokesman of the Food and Disaster Management Ministry Golam Kibira in a press release issued on Thursday evening said that 147deaths were confirmed while ten others are missing.

    However, Kibira earlier on Thursday noon said more than 1,100 people in the coastal districts remained missing.

    The cyclone Aila formed in the Bay of Bengal crossed Bangladesh' s southwestern coast on Monday with speed of 70-90 kilometers per hour, leaving more than 6,500 people injured and 3.47 million affected in about 15 coastal districts.

    This was the biggest natural calamity in Bangladesh after cyclone Sidr battered the country's southwestern coastal belt on Nov. 15, 2007 leaving more than 4,000 dead or missing.

    The food ministry's release said the government on Thursday allocated additional 300 million taka (about 4.3 million U.S. dollars) and 5,000 tons of rice to the affected areas on Thursday.

    With the new allocation, the government has so far allocated a total of 322.3 million taka (about 4.6 million U.S. dollars) and 19,000 tons of rice to the victims.

    Kibira said in the release that chiefs of all affected districts administrations have been directed to distribute 20 kg rice to each affected person so that the victims don't need to always rush for relief materials.

    Local district administrations were also asked to coordinate with NGOs in distribution of relief materials in the affected areas.

    The armed forces are taking relief materials using 11 ships and seven helicopters to the remote affected areas, the release said.

    According to the control room under the food ministry, some 963,000 million people are staying in shelters while some 69,200 domestic animals were killed.

    The official statistics also showed more than 520,000 houses, 2,190 education institutions, some 4,500 kms road, 1,000 kms embankments and standing crops on some 400,000 acres (about 162,000 hectares) land were either damaged completely or partially.