Myanmar's President Thein Sein declared a state of emergency in four regions - Chin, Magwe, Sagaing and Rakhine.

Thousands of people are sheltering in monasteries, but one report said people from the Rohingya Muslim minority were turned away from some shelters.

The Myanmar Times said security forces turned away Rohingya Muslims from abandoned schools and community centres in the western Rakhine state.

The United Nations says 140,000 people in Rakhine are living in camps near the region's capital, Sittwe. Most are Rohingya Muslims.