Rescue teams from China, Hong Kong, and India began their second day of searching for victims and survivors on Monday, after the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar on Friday.
The earthquake, centered 20 kilometers northeast of Mandalay, left a trail of destruction across Mandalay, Sagaing, Myingyan, Naypyitaw, and Kyaukse. Myanmar workers are also among almost 100 missing or dead from a high-rise that collapsed while under construction in Bangkok, as quake tremors rippled into India and China’s Yunnan Province.
Rescue efforts are concentrated on Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city with a population of over 1.5 million, and Naypyitaw, the administrative capital located 260 kilometers to the south. Rescuers are digging through rubble, wary that further aftershocks could dislodge delicate structures after tremors were felt over the weekend.
Neighboring China has announced 100 million yuan (US$ 13.8 million) in emergency aid for quake relief efforts. Other countries sending aid, equipment and rescue teams include the US, Britain, Australia, Russia, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) on Saturday estimated the quake death toll at between 10,000 and 100,000, with an economic impact as high as 70 percent of the country’s GDP.
The death toll reached around 1,700 on Sunday, with at least 300 more missing and 3,400 injured, according to the military regime.
The situation is dire in Sagaing, the epicenter of the earthquake, where around 80 percent of buildings were destroyed or badly damaged. Local media in central Myanmar reported over 600 fatalities as of Saturday night, citing data from rescue teams. Monasteries and nunneries in the Sagaing Hills were also hit by the quake and need emergency relief supplies, primarily drinking water. International aid finally reached Sagaing on Monday with the arrival of a Malaysian rescue team.
The 91-year-old Ava Bridge spanning the Irrawaddy River between Sagaing and Mandalay collapsed in the quake. The new bridge nearby survived but has been restricted to small vehicles and motorbikes. However, many are using barges to cross the river out of lingering safety concerns.
More than 800 fatalities have been reported in Mandalay, where damage was exacerbated by huge fires that erupted following the quake. The earthquake destroyed a religious building in the second city, burying around 200 Buddhist monks who were taking an exam. The Fire Service Department reported at noon on Sunday that 55 had been extracted alive. Dozens are feared dead.
The earthquake also destroyed nearly 50 Mandalay and Sagaing region mosques dating back to the 19th century, killing an estimated 500 to 700 Muslim worshippers, according to the Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Network. Many remained trapped in collapsed mosques on Sunday.
Mandalay crematoriums are overstretched, forcing relatives to cremate several dead bodies together or build pyres within crematory compounds.
Aftershocks measuring over magnitude 5 rocked Mandalay through Sunday, forcing residents to sleep outside. Many people made homeless are hunkering under roadside trees, using tarpaulin sheets to shelter from scorching sun and temperatures of 34.5C (94F). Electricity and tap water supplies have been cut off since the quake. The military-owned Mytel is the only telecom service available in Mandalay.
Naypyitaw, the regime’s nerve center, is also grappling with significant damage and deaths. The quake ripped through Parliament buildings, the war office and regional command HQ, and a 1,000-bed hospital and staff-quarters, killing hundreds of civilians and civil servants. Many remained trapped under the rubble on Sunday.
The regime has declared a state of emergency in Sagaing, Mandalay, Magwe and Bago regions and northeastern Shan State. Junta boss Min Aung Hlaing has also issued an unprecedented plea for international help.
Mandalay and Naypyitaw airports have been closed after sustaining damage, including the collapse of Naypyitaw’s control tower. Relief flights are landing in Yangon, but the quake also caused serious damage at 20 locations along the Yangon-Mandalay Highway.
Myanmar is situated within the Himalayan seismic zone, one of the world’s two major earthquake belts, alongside the Pacific Ring of Fire. The Sagaing Fault has caused powerful earthquakes as intense as magnitude 9. Records show the fault triggered major earthquakes in 1839 and 1956, before the third one on Friday.
