The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar has risen to over 2,700, including 50 children who were in a preschool near Mandalay when the disaster hit.
The 7.7 magnitude quake, which struck around midday on Friday, was the strongest to hit the country in over a century. It caused widespread destruction, bringing down both ancient pagodas and modern buildings.
Myanmar’s military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, announced on Tuesday that the number of fatalities had reached 2,719 and could rise beyond 3,000. He also reported that 4,521 people were injured, and 441 were still missing. In neighboring Thailand, at least 20 people lost their lives.
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In Mandalay, one of the worst-hit areas, sirens rang out at exactly 12:51 p.m.—the moment the earthquake struck—bringing the city to a standstill. At the heavily damaged Sky Villa apartment complex, rescue workers paused to pay their respects, standing solemnly with their hands behind their backs. Nearby, a Myanmar flag flew at half-mast from a bamboo pole tied to a rescue tent.
Many residents in Mandalay have been sleeping outside for four nights straight, either because their homes were destroyed or out of fear that aftershocks could bring even more devastation.
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“I don’t feel safe. There are six or seven-floor buildings beside my leaning house, and they can collapse anytime,” Soe Tint, a watchmaker, told the AFP news agency.
Some of the survivors have tents, but many – including babies and children – have been bedding down on blankets in the middle of roads, staying as far away as possible from damaged buildings.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International said the military needed to allow aid to reach areas of the country not under its control.
“Myanmar’s military has a longstanding practice of denying aid to areas where groups who resist it are active,” Amnesty’s Myanmar researcher Joe Freeman said.
“It must immediately allow unimpeded access to all humanitarian organisations and remove administrative barriers delaying needs assessments.”
The United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA) said the victims of the earthquake included 50 children and two teachers, who were killed when their preschool collapsed near Mandalay.
According to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar, around 500 Muslims lost their lives when the earthquake struck Myanmar. The disaster hit during Friday prayers, as worshippers had gathered in mosques.
Meanwhile, in Bangkok, rescue teams continued searching through the wreckage of an unfinished skyscraper that had collapsed. However, with four days having passed since the quake, hopes of finding survivors were fading.
