Myanmar authorities estimated on Tuesday that the death toll of the devastating cyclone which hit Southeast Asia grew higher than 22,000, The Associated Press reported.

The Myanmar state radio announced on Tuesday the delaying of a government constitutional referendum in the areas which suffered the worst damages after being hit by Cyclone Nargis. The country’s Irrawaddy delta region was hit the worst as the cyclone submerged the land under floodwaters.

According to a news broadcast on the government-run radio of the Southeast Asian country, the exact number of dead found until now is 22,464. More than 41,000 are still missing.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, as many as 1 million are homeless. Some villages have been completely wiped out from the Earth’s surface, according to the World Food Program.

The typhoon struck Myanmar’s heartland and largest city, Yangon, early Saturday and destroyed anything in it path. Several aid agencies are making huge efforts to help those suffering from this catastrophe, but their crews are finding it rather difficult to reach some isolated areas with supplies and large numbers of aid.

The relief efforts are being held back because the cyclone destroyed numerous roads and communications outlets.

The first country to help Myanmar was the neighboring Thailand which sent help on Tuesday.

Four days after Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, the country’s reclusive military regime still makes the aid experts negotiate with them in order to be allowed into the remote nation.

"According to the information as of 12 noon today, 21,793 people were killed and 40,695 were missing in Irrawaddy division, while 671 were killed, 670 were injured and 359 people were missing in Yangon division," state television said late Tuesday according to French news agency AFP.