Myanmar Earthquake Death Toll Exceeds 1,600 as Rescue Efforts Continue
#image_title

Myanmar Earthquake Death Toll Exceeds 1,600 as Rescue Efforts Continue


Share this post

The number of people killed in Myanmar following a powerful earthquake has risen to 1,644, with 3,408 others injured, according to local reports.

A further 139 people are also reportedly missing across the country.

It comes as dramatic footage shows the moment a building several stories high collapsed into rubble in the city of Mandalay - near to the earthquake's epicentre.

The 7.7 magnitude earthquake caused extensive damage to buildings and roads. Pic: Reuters

Survivors in the city dug with their bare hands in a desperate attempt to find trapped people.

It struck at around 12.50pm local time (6.20am UK time) on Friday at a shallow depth of six miles (9.6km).

The quake's epicentre was about 10 miles from Mandalay.

There were also aftershocks, with one measuring a strong 6.4 magnitude 12 minutes later.

A rescue worker at the site of a collapsed building in Bangkok. Pic: Reuters

King Charles sent a message of condolence.

"I know that the people of Myanmar continue to endure so much hardship and tragedy in your lives, and I have long admired your extraordinary resilience and spirit," he said in a statement.

"At this most difficult and heartbreaking of times, my wife and I send our deepest possible sympathy to all those who have suffered the profound tragedy of losing their loved ones, their homes and their precious livelihoods."

China's President Xi Jinping also sent his condolences to Myanmar's leader Min Aung Hlaing after the earthquake, and, according to the Chinese embassy in Myanmar, they have spoken on the phone.

A Chinese rescue team arrived in Yangon, Myanmar's former capital, early on Saturday, while Russia and the US have also offered to provide humanitarian assistance and relief.

Damaged Buddhist temples. Pic: AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo

Neighbouring Thailand was also affected by the quake, leaving at least seven people dead, eight injured, and 47 missing.

Buildings in five of Myanmar's cities and towns collapsed, along with a railway bridge and a road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, state media reported. A dam also burst.

The control tower at Nay Pyi Taw airport, which serves the capital Naypyidaw, collapsed, meaning runways cannot be used.

Recalling the moment they left their home in Mandalay, one resident said they "ran out of the house as everything started shaking".

They said they "witnessed a five-storey building collapse in front of [their] eyes", adding, "everyone in my town is out on the road and no one dares to go back inside buildings".

The natural disaster - the largest earthquake in this region in nearly 80 years - comes as the country is in the grip of a civil war.

Search efforts continued on Saturday morning in Bangkok as the city's governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, said people were believed to be alive in the wreckage at three construction sites, including one where a partially built high-rise collapsed.

Most of the city's metro and light rail resumed normal operation on Saturday morning, according to their operators.

Major General Zaw Min Tun, a spokesperson for the military government, told MRTV that blood was in high demand in earthquake-hit areas, as he urged donors to contact hospitals as soon as possible.

United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said UN staff were working to gather information on the number of people impacted by the earthquake and the scope of the humanitarian needs.

The earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand, and tremors also affected Laos, Vietnam, and Bangladesh

The ruling military junta said a state of emergency has been declared in Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Magway Region and northeastern Shan State, Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, and Bago Region.

"The government has ordered a rapid investigation of the damage in these areas," the junta added in a statement.

A satellite photo shows a collapsed air traffic control tower at the Naypyitaw International Airport. Pic: Planet Labs PBC via AP

"We will carry out relief and relief operations promptly. We will also work to provide necessary disaster relief and humanitarian assistance."

The Red Cross has said its attempts to reach Mandalay and Sagaing regions and the southern Shan state are made more challenging by downed power lines.

Image: Buddhist monks walk past a collapsed building in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Pic: AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo

China will provide 100 million yuan (£10.63m) worth of aid to Myanmar, including tents, blankets, emergency medical kits, food and water.

The first batch is set to arrive on 31 March, according to the Chinese embassy's Facebook page.


Share this post
Comments

Be the first to know

Join our community and get notified about upcoming stories

Subscribing...
You've been subscribed!
Something went wrong
Knicks reach first NBA Finals in 27 years after sweeping Cavs

Knicks reach first NBA Finals in 27 years after sweeping Cavs

The New York Knicks advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 with a 130-93 victory at Cleveland on Monday, stretching their team-record playoff win streak to 11 games. New York swept the Cavaliers 4-0 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final, and the Knicks, who won their only NBA titles in 1970 and 1973, will play for the crown starting June 3rd. They await the winner between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs out of the Western Conference, a series that is c


O A

Sonny Rollins, Legendary Harlem Saxophonist, Dies At 95

Sonny Rollins, Legendary Harlem Saxophonist, Dies At 95

Sonny Rollins, the Harlem-born saxophonist whose fearless improvisation reshaped modern jazz music, died Monday at his home in Woodstock, New York. He was 95. Publicist Terri Hinte confirmed the news. No official cause of death was released, though Rollins had struggled with pulmonary fibrosis and other health complications in recent years. With his death, jazz loses one of its final living architects from the bebop era. Rollins stood beside innovators who transformed American music during the


O A

Drake Surpasses JAŸ-Z For Most #1 Albums After Dissing Hov Across ‘ICEMAN’

Drake Surpasses JAŸ-Z For Most #1 Albums After Dissing Hov Across ‘ICEMAN’

As ICEMAN reaches No.1 on the Billboard charts this week, Drake claims the title of most number-one albums in Hip-Hop, surpassing longtime holder Jay-Z, now JAŸ-Z, with an album where the 6 God took plenty shots at Hov on “Janice STFU,” “Whisper My Name,” and “Make Them Pay.” ICEMAN marked Drake’s 15th No. 1 project, further extending one of hip-hop’s most dominant commercial runs. Drake officially breaks JAY-Z’s record for the most #1 albums by a rapper in Billboard 200 history 🏆 pic.twitter.


O A

Dame Dash Launches Dash Records Collective

Dame Dash Launches Dash Records Collective

Dame Dash is once again betting on reinvention. Amid renewed tension with longtime rivals and a fresh round of online criticism, the former Roc-A-Fella co-founder has announced the launch of Dash Records, a new label he says is aimed at discovering emerging talent across music and media. The announcement arrived through Instagram, where Dash framed the venture as both a business reset and a creative recruitment call. For an executive whose career has often moved between triumph, controversy, an


O A