WASHINGTON - SECRETARY of State Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday that the US government is offering aid to Myanmar after a deadly cyclone struck the western part of the southeast Asian country.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Ms Clinton, who is due to travel to nearby Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia in the coming days, offered condolences on the loss of life and damage caused by Cyclone Giri, which killed at least 27 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

'The US Embassy in Rangoon (Yangon) has offered immediate disaster relief assistance, and we will offer additional assistance as needed,' Ms Clinton said in a statement.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with the Burmese people and all those affected by this tragedy,' she said, referring to the people of Burma, the country's name before the ruling military junta changed it to Myanmar.

The storm slammed into the coastal state of Rakhine on Friday with winds of up to 193km (119 miles) per hour.

In addition to the 27 killed, some 15 people are missing, official media reported. The cyclone also destroyed 2,800 homes, dozens of government buildings and two bridges, according to state radio in the army-ruled country. -- AFP