The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck central Myanmar on March 28 has risen to 1 002, with another 2 376 injured, across all affected areas.
This is reported by CNN with reference to the state broadcaster MRTV, as well as the BBC.
Most of the casualties were in the second largest city Mandalay, which is located near the epicenter of the earthquake.
In Thailand, rescue workers continue to work at the site of a collapsed building in Bangkok, using small tools to pull people alive from the rubble.
The skyscraper was unfinished — there is no water supply, so people trapped inside under the rubble have no access to drinking water.
Officials said at least 15 people were found alive under the rubble. Some were able to be contacted, with some able to make sounds and voices. In others, rescuers detected movement and body heat.
"Some of the signs of life we received last night have disappeared, but we are not losing hope and are hoping for good news," the rescuers said.
Myanmar is ill-equipped to deal with a disaster of this magnitude and scale — it is one of Asia’s poorest countries. Myanmar’s isolated military leadership
India has sent rescue and medical teams to Myanmar along with urgent humanitarian aid.
A Chinese team has arrived to assist in search and rescue operations. UNICEF teams are working on the ground in the earthquake-affected areas. Specialists are assessing the consequences and preparing humanitarian support.
The director of a humanitarian organization in Myanmar said it would take years to rebuild some areas.
In a commentary on CNN, a geologist said that the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar released energy equivalent to 334 atomic bombs.
At least 14 aftershocks were recorded in Myanmar after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck on Friday, the US Geological Survey said. Most were between magnitudes 3 and 5. The strongest was a magnitude 6.7 aftershock that struck about 10 minutes after the first quake that caused the damage.
Tremors were also felt across Thailand, including the capital Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai, as well as in the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi, which are adjacent to Myanmar.
The geologist explains that the tremors could last for several months as the Indian tectonic plate continues to crash into the Eurasian plate beneath Myanmar.
- A strong earthquake struck central Myanmar on March 28, with tremors felt in neighboring Thailand. The epicenter was about 17.2 km from the city of Mandalay, a city of nearly 1.2 million people. The earthquake in the central part of the country caused the collapse of a bridge connecting Myanmarʼs Ava and Sagaing regions. An unfinished skyscraper collapsed in Bangkok, trapping construction workers among others.
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