The dead reached 145 in Myanmar since the passage of Cyclone Mocha, mostly Rohingya, the junta said in a statement today, adding that it was “taking action” against media reporting higher tolls.

The cyclone lashed Myanmar and Bangladesh on Sunday, bringing heavy rain and winds of up to 195 kilometers per hour.

The most powerful storm to hit the region in more than 10 years destroyed villagesuprooted trees and caused communications problems in much of Rakhine state, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya live in camps displaced by decades of international conflict.

“According to the information we have gathered, 4 soldiers, 24 residents and 117 Bengalis were killed by the storm,” the junta announced. “Bengali” is the derogatory term used in Myanmar for the Rohingya.

A Rohingya village chief has told AFP that more than 100 people are missing in his village alone after the cyclone.

Another village chief near Sittwe, capital of Rakhine State, pointed out that at least 105 Rohingya were killed on the outskirts of the city and that the count of victims has not yet been completed.

In its statement, the junta of Myanmar also points out that the information transmitted by the media, which speaks of 400 dead Rohingya, is “false”, while it emphasized that measures will be taken against the media that published it.

Since the February 1, 2021 coup, the junta has arrested dozens of journalists and shut down media it deems critical of the regime.