Nepali embassy in Yangon damaged by cyclone; officials shifted to hotel

Nepali embassy in Myanmar capital Yangon has been damaged in the deadly cyclone, forcing the embassy officials to shift to a safer place, a hotel.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hira Bahadur Thapa, told Nepalnews that the embassy building, a rented property located at Natmauk Yeiktha in Yangon, was badly damaged by the cyclone, compelling ambassador Guna Laxmi Shama (BK) and other staffers to shift to a hotel in the city.

All the embassy staffers - four Nepalis including the ambassador and three local employees - are safe and are carrying out their official duties from the makeshift office at the hotel. Thapa informed that there were no reports of Nepalis in Myanmar being victim of the devastating cyclone that is believed to have claimed more than 20,000 lives.

Talking to BBC Nepali Service Thursday, ambassador Sharma had said it is very difficult at the moment to get food items and other commodities in the markets of the capital city while the communication network there has been almost entirely destroyed.

Only a few dozen Nepali citizens including monks studying in different monasteries are said to be living in Myanmar, but there is no official record of this.

Tens of thousands of Nepali-origin people live in the military-ruled country, especially in northern parts that are least affected by the cyclone. nepalnews.com mk May 09 08