Largest Myanmar city hit by cyclone

YANGON, Myanmar, May 3 (UPI) -- The largest city in the Asian country of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been devastated by a major cyclone, eyewitnesses say.

Witnesses to the natural disaster in Yangon say that cyclone Nargis caused significant destruction throughout the city before losing strength Saturday afternoon, China's official state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Cable wire and telephone systems were reportedly disrupted by the deadly cyclone, while travel on the city's roads was delayed by fallen trees.

Flights in and out of Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, were also canceled due to the cyclone.

Satellite dishes mounted on local homes and buildings were destroyed by the storm, which began Friday. A number of commercial billboards were also blown away by the cyclone's intense winds.

An unspecified amount of government and public buildings throughout Yangon suffered severe damage as the cyclone threatened the city for more than 10 hours, the news agency said.