Rabat – The authorities in Myanmar were silent for a minute today to honor the victims of a powerful earthquake that hit the country on March 28. The disaster killed more than 2,700 people, including 50 children who died when their preschool collapsed near Mandalay.
The earthquake of size 7.7, the strongest in over a century, destroyed Houses, old pagodas and modern buildings and thousands of people homeless. Many survivors still sleep outdoors, fear images or other buildings.
Myanmar’s military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, said in a television speech that the number of fatalities had increased to 2,719 and could surpass 3,000. He reported that 4,521 people were injured and 441 were still missing. At least 20 people were also killed in neighboring Thailand, where the earthquake was also felt.
Many survivors in the center of Myanmar are struggling to find food, water and accommodation. Auxiliary workers report that hospitals treat injured people outdoors outdoors because there were no facilities and extreme warmth.
Some survivors have managed to find tents, but many, including babies and children, sleep on blankets on the street to avoid damaged buildings.
Rescue workers in Naypyidaw lived a 63-year-old woman from the rubble on Tuesday, 91 hours after the earthquake. However, officials say that the chances of finding more survivors are low.
Myanmar’s persistent civil conflict made it even more difficult to provide help. The military, which recorded power in a coup in 2021, reported reported access to some of the worst affected areas.
Amnesty International has asked the military to enable humanitarian aid to achieve all affected areas.
In Thailand, where the earthquake also caused devastation, the rescue workers continue to look for survivors in the ruins of an unfinished skyscraper in Bangkok.
