Boat carrying cyclone aid sinks

A boat carrying aid to the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Burma has sunk while trying to reach people in the south of the country.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says the double-decker boat hit a submerged tree trunk and started taking on water.

Federation spokesman in Burma Joe Lowry says most of the supplies, enough for about 1,000 people, were lost.

He says they included fresh water, purification tablets, rice, clothes and surgical masks.

"As far as we know it probably stuck a tree trunk underwater and it holed the hull of the boat and started taking in water rapidly," he said.

"The crew tried to get it to an island in midstream and they managed to do that.

"Everyone on board got off but the shipment sank very quickly and we think most of the stock was lost.

"We don't know some has been salvaged. I'd imagine the rice is beyond use."