Fourty three US lawmakers have called on President George W. Bush to consider "humanitarian intervention" in cyclone-hit Burma after its military rulers refused to allow foreign experts to direct relief efforts despite rising deaths.

They have called on the president to back the efforts of France, Britain, Germany, Denmark and other nations to gain entry into the devastated Irrawaddy Delta region to provide urgent life-saving humanitarian aid.

They have also asked Mr Bush to consult with other supportive regional governments.

More than 133 thousand people are dead or missing according to official figures but the junta continues to insist that it can manage the catastrophe alone.

The generals have accepted hundreds of tonnes of relief supplies but have all but sealed off the disaster zone, keeping out most foreigners.

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