Devastation in Myanmar: Earthquake Death Toll Soars Beyond 1,700

As more bodies were pulled out of the rubble from the Myanmar earthquake, the death toll has now risen to over 1,700. The country’s military government announced this on Monday.

Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, a spokesperson for the government, told state-run MRTV that another 3,400 people were injured, and 300 more are still missing. The military reported previously that 1,644 people had died, but it did not give specific numbers in its latest update.

The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck at noon on Friday and caused widespread damage in Naypitaw, the capital, as well as Mandalay, the second largest city.

Tun Kyi, a member of Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Network’s steering committee, stated that the mosques collapsed during Friday prayers, when the Muslim minority of the country was in the holy month of Ramadan. Tun Kyi said 700 people were killed. The official death toll was not yet known.

Tun Kyi stated that 60 mosques had been damaged or destroyed by the earthquake. Videos posted on The Irrawaddy news website showed mosques falling down during the quake and people fleeing the area.

The building collapsed as 270 monks in Mandalay were preparing for a religious examination at the U Hla Thein Monastery when the earthquake struck.

Rescue workers on the scene said Monday that 70 people were able to escape. However, 50 bodies have been discovered, and 150 remain unaccounted for.

It is believed that the true death and injury toll in the affected areas is likely to be many times higher than the official numbers. However, due to telecommunications outages and the extreme difficulties of moving around the country, it is difficult to know the extent of the damage.

Lauren Ellery is the deputy director for programs in Myanmar at the International Rescue Committee.

Ellery stated that there is an emergency in six regions. Her teams and local partners are assessing the needs and providing medical assistance, humanitarian aid, and other help.

She said, “They were discussing a town near Mandalay in which 80% of buildings had collapsed, but the story was not reported because the telecommunications were slow.”

Our partner told us that on Saturday, landslides were blocking them from reaching one of the villages.

The earthquake that struck near Mandalay, a city with a population of about 1.5 million people, destroyed buildings and caused damage to other infrastructure, such as the airport.

Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab performed an artificial intelligence analysis on satellite images of Mandalay. It found 515 buildings that had sustained damage between 80% and 100% and another 1,524 that suffered damage between 20% and 80%. The AI4G Lab also noted that 180,004 other buildings were between 0%-20% damaged. This assessment is a preliminary guide, which will need to be verified on the ground.

According to the World Health Organization, it has received reports of three destroyed hospitals and 22 partially damaged hospitals in the region.

In a recent report, the U.N. agency stated that “the scale of deaths and injury is not fully understood” and that the numbers will likely increase.

The devastation caused by the earthquake has overwhelmed the healthcare facilities in affected areas. They are struggling to cope with the influx of injured people. The need for trauma care and surgery, blood transfusions, anesthetics, and essential medicines is urgent.

The lack of heavy machinery has slowed down search and rescue operations. Many have been forced to search for survivors slowly by hand, in temperatures that are above 40 degrees Celsius every day.

International rescue teams are on the ground, including those from Russia, China, and India as well as several Southeast Asian countries.

An Indian team cut rebar with an angle grinder, powered by a portable power generator, on Sunday as they attempted to reach lower levels.

One covered body was seen being loaded into an ambulance.

The European Union, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and other countries have announced that they will be providing millions of dollars either directly or via local partners and international organisations.

Myanmar has not received any assistance from Washington, despite President Donald Trump’s promise.

The United States sent a small group of military personnel to Bangkok after the earthquake that shook Thailand’s capital city and killed 18 people. Many were on a construction site, where a partially constructed high-rise fell.

A further 33 people have been injured, and 78 are missing. This is mainly at the construction site located near the Chatuchak Market.

Authorities asked onlookers to remain silent while they used machines to detect signs of life under the rubble.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt informed reporters on the scene of the incident that signs were detected Sunday night. However, experts couldn’t determine if it was a machine error.

He said that despite his optimism, he still hoped to find survivors.

He said, “Even if you save one life, it’s worth the effort.”

Myanmar, or Burma as it is also called, lies on the Sagaing Fault. This major fault runs north-south and separates the India Plate from the Sunda Plate.

A 200-kilometer-long fault section ruptured, causing extensive damage in a large area of Myanmar, including the Sagaing and Mandalay regions, Magway, Bago and Bago States, and Shan State.

Rescue efforts are further complicated by the bloody Civil War ravaging much of the nation, including the quake-affected regions. The military took power in 2021 from Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, sparking a significant armed opposition.

The government forces have lost much of Myanmar, and it is difficult or dangerous for aid agencies to get there. According to the United Nations, more than 3,000,000 people have been forced from their homes by the fighting. Nearly 20 million others are in desperate need.

Ellery of the International Rescue Committee noted that many homes were destroyed by floods in the area most affected by the earthquake last year. Many of the internally displaced persons have also sought refuge there.

Many people have been sleeping on the streets since the earthquake. This is either because they have lost their homes or they fear that the aftershocks will bring them down.

She said that finding shelter for people would be a big challenge in the coming months as monsoons began to fall.

She said, “Right now, we are focused on immediate action.”