Workers carry China's relief materials at Yangon International Airport in Yangon May 7, 2008. China's relief materials worth US$500,000 arrived at Yangon International Airport and were delivered to Myanmar May 7, as part of China's US$1 million worth of emergency relief aid to the cyclone-devastated country. China has also extended to Myanmar a money aid of US$500,000.

Another 516 people were confirmed death in the violent cyclone storm Nargis that swept Myanmar's five divisions and states on last Friday and Saturday, bring the death toll to 22,980, state radio reported Wednesday night, the fourth day in the aftermath of the disaster.

The number of missing has risen to 42,119.

The injured also increased by 713, bringing the total to 1,383,the report said.

The deadly cyclone, which occurred over the Bay of Bengal, hit five divisions and states -- Yangon, Bago, Ayeyawaddy, Kayin and Mon, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon sustained the heaviest casualties and property loss.

Myanmar declared the five divisions and states as natural-disaster-hit regions a day after the cyclone hit the country.

However, Bago, Mon and Kayin as well as some five townships of Yangon division and 19 townships of Ayeyawaddy division were withdrawn from being the natural-disaster-hit areas status on Tuesday with a claim that these areas have basically returned to normal, according to an earlier official announcement on Tuesday afternoon.

A total of 40 townships in Yangon division and 7 townships in Ayeyawaddy division still remain as the natural-disaster-hit areas status.

(Xinhua News Agency May 9, 2008)