The number of people killed in Myanmar’s devastating earthquake has surpassed 1,600 as rescuers race to find survivors. The country’s military-led government said 1,644 people have died, with 3,408 injured and a further 139 others missing.
It suggested the numbers could still rise, saying “detailed figures are still being collected”, with rescuers searching through rubble using their bare hands to try to find any survivors. The ruling junta said most of the victims had been counted in Mandalay – Myanmar’s second-biggest city. The powerful earthquake struck Friday, with the epicentre not far from the city.
It was followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring a strong 6.4 magnitude. It sent buildings in many areas toppling to the ground, buckled roads, caused bridges to collapse and burst a dam.
Yan Naing, a rescue worker in Mandalay, told The Telegraph: “We are doing our best to rescue survivors. We heard screams last night, but this morning, there was silence. We continue to do everything we can to save lives.”
A doctor at the city’s general hospital also spoke to the newspaper, saying it had been “overwhelmed” by the “surge in patients”.
“With so few doctors and nurses, our capacity is extremely limited,” Dr Win said. “We urgently need reinforcements. It’s heartbreaking to see patients dying when they shouldn’t be, and we desperately need first aid kits. We were never prepared for a disaster like this.”
There has also been significant damage in the capital Naypyidaw, where the earthquake brought down many buildings, including multiple units that housed government civil servants.
The tremor also struck areas in neighbouring Thailand, including the capital Bangkok, which is home to around 17 million people.
Authorities in the city said six people have been dead so far, with 26 injured and 47 still missing, most from a construction site near the popular Chatuchak market where a high-rise building collapsed.
On Saturday, more heavy equipment was brought in to move the tons of rubble, but hope was fading among friends and family members of the missing that they would be found alive.
“I was praying that that they had survived but when I got here and saw the ruin – where could they be? In which corner? Are they still alive? I am still praying that all six are alive,” said 45-year-old Naruemol Thonglek, sobbing as she awaited news about her partner, who is from Myanmar, and five friends who worked at the site.
She added: “I cannot accept this. When I see this I can’t accept this. A close friend of mine is in there, too.”
Waenphet Panta said she hadn’t heard from her daughter Kanlayanee since a phone call about an hour before the quake. A friend told her Kanlayanee had been working high on the building on Friday.
Sitting alongside Kanlayanee’s father, she said: “I am praying my daughter is safe, that she has survived and that she’s at the hospital.”