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Cyclone Nargis was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck Myanmar's Irrawaddy River delta region on May 2-3, 2008. With sustained winds exceeding 120 miles per hour, it caused a massive storm surge that inundated low-lying areas, destroying villages and farmland. The cyclone resulted in an estimated 80,000 to 138,000 fatalities, making it one of Southeast Asia's deadliest modern disasters. The ruling military junta's initial resistance to large-scale foreign aid exacerbated the humanitarian crisis.1

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