The Bangladeshi death toll has officially breached the 3,000 mark as rescuers struggle to bring aid to millions of survivors hit by the devastating Cyclone Sidr.

The second-worst storm ever to strike the country battered villages and destroyed homes four days ago but the final death toll may not be established for weeks. It is feared it will exceed 10,000.

Thousands of people are still stranded on islands in the Bay of Bengal and in cut-off coastal districts while scores of fishermen are missing.

About 3 million people have been evacuated from low-lying southern regions where their villages were destroyed by waves reaching heights of 20 feet.

The official government death toll is 3113 but aid agencies said that the number was rising by the hour as they uncovered more bodies in isolated areas.

“It looks like we are in a valley of death,” said Mohammad Selim, a relief worker in Bagerhat, a badly hit area.

Aid agencies gave warning that the death toll could rise above 10,000. They also fear more people will die if adequate supplies of food, drinking water and medicine are not distributed to check the outbreak of disease.

Oxfam said it thought that up to 95 per cent of crops, many of which were ready for harvesting, had been destroyed in coastal zones which will have a long-term impact on the country’s ability to restore food supplies.

More than 240,000 livestock died, according to Save The Children, which has launched a £1 million appeal.

Bangladesh’s army-backed interim Government said it had done all it could to prepare for the cyclone, the worst ever to befall the Muslim country after the 1991 storm and accompanying tidal wave that killed more than 130,000 people and displaced about 10 million.

Pre-emptive measures, including an early warning system and a network of storm shelters, are thought to have saved hundreds of lives. The Government has called in the army to help clear blocked roads.

Cyclone Sidr struck the coast of southern Bangladesh on Thursday night with winds of 155 mph.

The Sunderbans, vast mangrove forests dotted by thousands of islands and crisscrossed by tributaries were particularly hard hit. Islanders recounted how they tied their children to trees to avoid them being swept away by a tidal wave.

The area is home to an estimated 7 million people who live on shifting silty land in bamboo and tin huts.

An official at the Sundarban forest, home to the endangered Royal Bengal Tiger and a world heritage site, said that more than 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of trees had been damaged but was unable to assess the impact on the animals.

As the enormity of the devastation became clear, the international community galvanised support.

Saudi Arabia announced that it would give Bangladesh $100 million (£49 million) in emergency aid, Japan promised $317,000 in relief materials and China pledged $1 million. India said that it would send a package including medicine, food items, milk powder, tents and blankets, first-aid kits and other relief items. Britain is to give £2.5 million while the US pledged $2 million dollars and is sending two navy ships with helicopters.

The UN has earmarked $7 million from its central emergency fund and is distributing 208 tonnes of high-energy biscuits, 240,000 water purification tablets, medical supplies and other essential items.

Others that pledged aid include the German Government, which offered about $730,000 and the European Union with $2.2 million. France pledged some $730,000, while the Philippines said that it would send a medical team.

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