The death toll in Myanmar's quake continues to rise

By Linda Bordoni

Local media reports of casualties have been much higher than the official figures and it is thought that numbers could rise dramatically when telecommunications are re-established and remote areas have been reached.

The epicenter of last Friday's 7.7 magnitude earthquake was near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city. It brought down thousands of buildings, buckled roads and destroyed bridges in multiple regions.

Hospitals and one health center have been destroyed or damaged, and UN aid workers say thousands of people are in urgent need of trauma care, surgical interventions and treatment for disease outbreaks.

Thousands left homeless

Meanwhile, big tents are being erected in open fields as many have been left homeless by the earthquake, while others are staying away from their homes over fears that ongoing aftershocks will bring them down.  

More than 1,550 international rescuers were operating alongside locals on Thursday, according to a statement from the military. Rescue supplies and equipment have been sent by 17 countries.

Temporary ceasefires

Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has turned into a civil war. The quake worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis, with more than 3 million people displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations.

As concerns grew that ongoing fighting could hamper humanitarian aid efforts, the military declared a temporary ceasefire Wednesday through April 22 following announcements of unilateral temporary ceasefires by armed resistance groups opposed to military rule.

(Source: AP news agency)