Myanmar's military government has a provisional death toll of 10,000 from this weekend's devastating cyclone, with another 3,000 missing, a diplomat said on Monday after a briefing from Foreign Minister Nyan Win.

'The basic message was that they believe the provisional death toll was about 10,000 with 3,000 missing,' a diplomat present at the meeting told Reuters in Bangkok.

Nyan Win told state television that his nation would welcome international aid.

'Information is still being collected, and there could be more casualties,' he added.

Nyan Win also welcomed Thailand's promise to send emergency food and medicine, saying Myanmar would welcome international aid from other countries.

'We will welcome help like this from other countries, because our people are in difficulty,' he said.

He said 57 ships had sunk in the Ayeyawaddy (Irrawaddy) River, adding that smaller boats had also been destroyed.
State television showed images of entire communities that had flooded since Tropical Cyclone Nargis struck late Friday.

Meanwhile, the UN also said Myanmar had accepted international aid offers and shipments are being prepared at once.
It said hundreds of thousands of people are without shelter and drinking water in the country.

'We know that it's several hundred thousand needing shelter and clean drinking water, but how many hundred thousand we just don't know,' said Richard Horsey, UN disaster response office.

'The government indicated willingness to accept international assistance through the UN agencies. I'd say it was a careful green light. The UN will begin preparing assistance now to be delivered and transported to Myanmar as quickly as possible,' said World Food Programme spokesman Paul Risley.

Another report said soldiers and police killed 36 prisoners after a riot in Yangon's notorious Insein prison in chaos following the cyclone, Thailand-based human rights group said.