“The embassy (in Yangon) did issue a disaster declaration authorizing an immediate release of 250,000 dollars in support for the Burmese government,” State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey told reporters.

Casey said a US disaster assistance response team was “standing by and ready to go into Burma (Myanmar) to help try and assess needs there,” but had apparently not received permission from the ruling junta in Yangon.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel, who expressed US concern “about the reports coming out of Burma and mourn the loss of life,” and Casey suggested more aid would be available.

“We provided some initial assistance under our disaster declaration that was issued by our (embassy) charge, Shari Villarosa, in response to some of the immediate needs that are there,” Casey told reporters.

“And we’re looking at what other assistance we might be able to provide,” he added.

Casey said he understood that the authorities in Yangon have not tried to block financial contributions which would be sent to “UN relief agencies for water, sanitation, food and shelter for the affected populations.”

He expected the money would go towards the same items covered in previous disaster declarations.

“That can include things from, you know, plastic sheeting, water containers, purification systems,” he said.

Myanmar said more than 10,000 people had been killed in the cyclone that tore into the impoverished and secretive Asian nation at the weekend, and that tens of thousands more could also be dead.

The announcement on state television increased the death toll from Tropical Cyclone Nargis more than ten-fold in the country once known as Burma, which has been under military rule for decades and is one of the poorest on the planet.

It said more than 2,100 people were missing and that tens of thousands more could have perished in other regions — areas where rescue workers had not yet been able to gauge the full scope of the destruction.

Casey said the US embassy in Yangon had decided or was moving toward allowing non-essential US personnel and families to leave Myanmar temporarily because public services had deteriorated following the cyclone.

He added he was “unaware of any Americans affected, injured or killed” by the storm.