Myanmar earthquake death toll rises to 3,145 as more bodies found
Officials said another 4,589 people have been injured and 221 others are missing.
The death toll from the massive earthquake that hit Myanmar nearly a week ago has increased to 3,145 as more bodies were found by search and rescue teams, the military-led government said.
In a short statement, information minister Maung Maung Ohn said another 4,589 people have been injured and 221 others are missing.
The epicentre of 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.
Local media reports of casualties have been much higher than the official figures and with telecommunications widely out and many places difficult to reach, it’s thought the numbers could rise sharply as more details come in.
A report issued Thursday by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that the earthquake and aftershocks have affected more than 17 million people across 57 of the country’s 330 townships, including more than 9 million who were severely affected.
“The coming days will be critical in determining the full scale of the disaster’s impact and the response required to meet the needs of millions affected,” it said.
The World Health Organisation said that according to its initial assessment, four hospitals and one health centre had been completely destroyed, while another 32 hospitals and 18 health centres had been partially damaged.
“With infrastructure compromised and patient numbers surging, access to health care has become nearly impossible in many of the worst-hit areas,” the UN said. “Thousands of people are in urgent need of trauma care, surgical interventions and treatment for disease outbreaks.”
A mobile hospital from India and a joint Russian-Belarusian hospital were also now operating in Mandalay.
With many left homeless by the quake, and many others staying away from their homes because of fears that ongoing aftershocks will bring them down, workers in Naypyitaw laboured in the 40C (104F) heat to erect big tents in open fields to provide some shelter.
In Mandalay, local residents gave slices of watermelon to Chinese volunteers taking a break from the high temperatures.
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.
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, after more than three million people had been displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million were in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations.
Amid growing fears that ongoing fighting could hamper humanitarian aid efforts, the military declared a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday, through to April 22.
The announcement followed unilateral temporary ceasefires announced by armed resistance groups opposed to military rule.
In the military’s announcement, it said it would still take “necessary” measures against those groups if they use the ceasefire to regroup, train or launch attacks.
In Bangkok, where the quake brought down a skyscraper under construction, the search for survivors and bodies continued as Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said a possible sound of life was detected amid the rubble.
Twenty-two people were killed, and 35 injured, in the city, mostly by the collapse of the unfinished building.
