The death toll from the earthquake in Myanmar has surpassed 1.600, while hundreds of foreign rescuers are arriving in the country, the military authorities announced.
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the Southeast Asian country two days ago, damaging airports, bridges, and highways. Myanmar was already burdened by civil war and an economic crisis.
The official death toll is currently 1.644, the military administration announced.
In neighboring Thailand, where the earthquake affected buildings and caused the collapse of a high-rise under construction in Bangkok, at least nine people were killed.
Survivors in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, dug with their bare hands in desperate attempts to rescue those trapped under the rubble.
In Bangkok, rescue operations continued yesterday at the site of the collapse of a 33-story tower, where 47 people are missing or trapped under the debris – including workers from Myanmar.
The United States (U.S.) Geological Survey estimates that the death toll in Myanmar could exceed 10.000, and the material damage could surpass the country’s annual economic output.
A day after issuing an appeal for international aid, Myanmar junta chief General Min Aung Hlaing traveled to the severely affected Mandalay, near the earthquake’s epicenter.
He ordered the authorities “to accelerate search and rescue efforts and address all urgent needs” of the population, according to a junta statement relayed by state media.
