BANGCOC (Reuters) – Myanmar’s military rulers allowed hundreds of foreign rescue teams to enter on Saturday (29) after an earthquake in the region killing more than 1,600 people, the deadliest natural disaster to reach the affected country for years of war.
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake that took place on Friday (28), one of the largest to shake the country of Southeast Asia in the last century, paralyzed airports, bridges and highways amid a civil war that has devastated the economy and displaced millions of people.
The number of dead in Myanmar rose to 1,644, the military government said on Saturday, according to the BBC Burmese news service.
In Thailand, neighboring country, where the tremor shook buildings and knocked down a skyscraper under construction in the capital Bangcoc, at least nine people died.
VIDEO: Collapses after tremor in Myanmar kills 13 and leave injured under rubble
Survivors in Mandalay, Mianmar’s second largest city, dug with their own hands on Friday in desperate attempts to save those who were still arrested, without heavy machinery and the absence of authorities.
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In Bangcoc, on Saturday, rescue operations remain at the venue of the 33 -story tower, where 47 people are missing or trapped under the rubble – including Myanmar workers.
The predictive model of the United States Geological Service estimated that the number of dead in Myanmar may exceed 10,000 and losses may exceed the country’s annual economic production.
A day after making a rare request for international help, the leader of the Myanmar Board, General Min Aung Hlaing, traveled to Mandalay, severely affected and near the epicenter of the earthquake, which knocked down buildings and caused fires in some areas.
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“The president of the State Board of Directors instructed the authorities to accelerate search and rescue efforts and meet any urgent needs,” the board said in a state press release, referring to Min Aung Hlaing.
Closed airports
An initial assessment made by the government of National Unit, of opposition, of Myanmar said that at least 2,900 buildings, 30 roads and seven bridges were damaged by the earthquake.
“Due to significant damages, international airports by Nayphitaw and Mandalay are temporarily closed,” said the national unit government, which includes the remnants of the elected civil government deposed by the military in a 2021 coup that triggered the civil war.
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The Nayphitaw airport control tower, the capital of Myanmar built for this purpose, collapsed, making it inoperative, a source told Reuters.
A spokesman for the Myanmar Board did not respond to calls for comments.
A Chinese rescue team arrived at Yangon Airport, a commercial capital of Myanmar, hundreds of miles from Mandalay and Nayphitaw, and will travel to the interior of the country, according to state press.
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India relief supplies arrived on a military plane in Yangon, according to the state media of Myanmar, and the Indian government reported that it was also sending ships with 40 tons of humanitarian aid.
Russia, Malaysia and Singapore were also sending planes with personnel and help supplies.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a bloc from 10 countries that includes Myanmar, said he recognized the need for urgent humanitarian assistance. “ASEAN is ready to support relief and recovery efforts,” the group said in a statement.
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South Korea said it would initially provide $ 2 million in humanitarian aid to Myanmar through international organizations.
The United States, who have a difficult relationship with the Myanmar military and have applied sanctions to their authorities, including Min Aung Hlaing, said they would provide some assistance.
Chinese President Xi Jinping talked by telephone with the chief of the Board, according to China’s embassy in Myanmar on Saturday, and said Beijing will provide help worth $ 13.77 million, including tents, blankets and emergency medical kits.
“No help is coming”
The earthquake, which took place around lunchtime on Friday, affected large areas of Myanmar, from the central plains around Mandalay to the Shan hills, parts of which are not completely under the control of the joint.
After being dragged out of a wall by other Mandalay residents, Htet Min OO, 25, said he tried to clean the rubble of a building to rescue his grandmother and two uncles – but ended up giving up.
“I don’t know if they are still alive under the rubble,” he told Reuters, crying. “After so long, I think there is no hope anymore.”
Mandalay rescue operations were unable to reach the scale of the disaster, another resident said by telephone, asking not to be identified for security reasons.
“Many people are stuck, but there is no help simply because there is no labor, equipment or vehicles,” he said.
(Report of the Bangcoc Newsroom, Shoon Naing, Wa Lone and Heather Timmons)
