In the aftermath of the devastating cyclone Nargis which wreaked havoc in Myanmar, there are many questions about why the authorities there were so unprepared and careless about their own people. Nargis was "only" a low-end category four hurricane, and category five hurricanes which hit in other parts of the world created far less casualties.

Apparently, the devastating cyclone, with winds of over 120 mph, tore up the roofs from more than 20,000 houses, damaged hospitals, schools and hotels. It also managed to cut the electricity and phone lines in the whole capital city of Yangon. The severe event transformed five of the country’s regions into official disaster zones and the international expertise on natural disasters will help the rescue missions to take full effect.

Also, prisoners started a riot at a Burmese prison after the devastation brought upon the country by Cyclone Nargis. They were countered violently by soldiers and riot police who shot dead 36 prisoners according to a report from The Telegraph.

Nargis caused at least 22,500 fatalities, with a further 41,000 people still missing, and estimates on the final total of fatalities ranging up to 100,000. By comparison, Yucatan and Central America were hit by back-to-back Category 5 storms last year (Dean and Felix, both more powerful than Cyclones Sidr and Nargis), but the combined death toll was only 162.

Chris Mooney over at the Science Progress blog has definitely hit the spot with an insightful article which is titled The Staggering Cyclone Nargis Catastrophe - A Disastrous Convergence of Variables. He basically analyzes how can it be that Nargis created such havoc and an unbelievable death toll compared to similar disasters in other parts of the world.

As the title suggests, there is no single factor, but a convergence of several things: poverty, poor infrastructure, and a negligent government. The current ruling military junta of the so-called "Union of Myanmar" (also known as Burma) has indeed displayed a complete disinterest in protecting its own people. "We clearly have another regime that was out of touch, that did little or nothing to protect its people—the worst kind of despotism and irresponsibility," Mooney says. Democratic rule ended in Burma ended in 1962.