A severe tropical storm has caused extensive damage to Burma's commercial capital, Rangoon.

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The storm brought down trees and power lines, and tore the roofs from buildings, eyewitnesses in Rangoon say. Telecommunications have been disrupted.

Three people are reported to have died in the storm's early stages, but there are no details of further casualties.

State TV and radio stations were off air in Rangoon on Saturday and public transport was disrupted.

"Everything was wrecked. The roofs of houses and satellite dishes were blown away," one resident told the BBC's Burmese service.

"The satellite dishes on the roof of the UNDP office were also blown away. Everything is in a mess."

Details of damage elsewhere in the country have been limited because telephone and internet connections to Burma have been badly disrupted.

While there have been no official reports of deaths, dock workers told AP news agency that three women had drowned when their boat capsized trying to cross a canal late on Friday.

(BBC)

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