Cyclone Nargis (JTWC designation: 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong tropical cyclone that caused the deadliest natural disaster in the recorded history of Burma (officially known as Myanmar).The cyclone made landfall in the country on May 2, 2008, causing catastrophic destruction and at least 80,000 fatalities with a further 56,000 people still missing.However, Labutta Township alone was reported to have 80,000 dead and some have estimated the death toll may be well over 100,000.Damage is estimated at over $10 billion (USD), which made it the most damaging cyclone ever recorded in this basin. It was also Burma's worst natural disaster overall, as well as being the deadliest.Nargis is the deadliest named cyclone in the North Indian Ocean Basin, as well as the second deadliest named cyclone of all time, behind Typhoon Nina of 1975. Including unnamed storms, Nargis is the 8th deadliest cyclone of all time, but an uncertainty between the deaths of Nargis and other cyclones, like the 1991 Bangladesh Cyclone could put Nargis as 7th deadliest or higher, because deaths are still being reported. Nargis was the first tropical cyclone to strike the country since Cyclone Mala made landfall in 2006.Relief efforts were slowed for political reasons as Burma's military rulers initially resisted aid. U.S. President George W. Bush said that an angry world should condemn the way Burma's military rulers are handling the aftermath of a devastating cyclone. Burma's ruling party finally accepted aid a few days later from the U.S after India's request was accepted. Further hampering the relief effort was the unfortunate fact that only ten days after the cyclone nearby central China was hit by a massive earthquake, known as the Sichuan earthquake which measured 7.9 in magnitude and itself is projected to have taken nearly 50,000 lives. Furthermore, Burmese militants were found to be selling aid to the highest bidder, and Myanmar's junta warned on May 15th that legal action would be taken against people who trade or hoard international aid.