Rescue teams and international aid began pouring into Myanmar on Saturday as the country grapples with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. The death toll has now crossed over 1,000 as more bodies were recovered from the rubble. Authorities fear the numbers may continue to rise as search and rescue efforts are underway.
Myanmar’s military government confirmed extensive damage to infrastructure, including roads, bridges and buildings, which has made rescue operations difficult. “Search and rescue operations are currently being carried out in the affected areas,” the junta announced via state media. On Friday, junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing called for international aid, extending invitations to “any country” willing to assist.
A Chinese rescue team arrived in the country early Saturday with medical supplies and life-detection equipment. Meanwhile, Russia announced it would send 120 rescuers, along with doctors and trained search dogs. The United States has also offered assistance, with President Donald Trump confirming discussions with Myanmar officials about providing aid. India has also sent aid to Myanmar after the quake.
The United States Geological Service (USGS) has warned that the death toll could exceed 10,000, with losses potentially surpassing Myanmar’s gross domestic product. Susan Hough, a scientist at the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, noted that predicting casualties is challenging.
Much of the devastation was in Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay, close to the epicentre of the quake.
In the Thai capital Bangkok, 1,000 km (620 miles) from the epicentre a rescue mission was stepped up on Saturday to find construction workers trapped under the rubble of a collapsed 33-storey tower.
Hough, who worked in Myanmar on the local seismology network, said the country’s mix of modern structures and traditional buildings would also play a role. Traditional buildings “are going to be less potentially deadly than concrete,” she said.
Thai authorities said nine people had died and 101 were missing in Bangkok, mostly labourers trapped in the rubble of the collapsed tower.
“We will do everything, we will not give up on saving lives, we will use all resources,” Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said at the site on Saturday, as excavators moved debris and drones scoured the rubble searching for survivors.
The Thai capital ground to a halt on Friday and Chadchart said hundreds of people had spent the night in city parks, but he said the situation was improving.
(With inputs from Reuters)