Tan-Tan-a devastating earthquake of 7.7 magnites hit the center of Myanmar on Friday, killed at least 144 people and injured more than 730 more. Officials expect the number of fatalities to increase when the rescue efforts are continued.
The earthquake was one of the strongest to meet the country in recent years. It trembled parts of Southeast Asia, and tremors felt to Bangkok, Thailand and China’s province of Yunnan.
The earthquake led to an unusual reaction of the MYANMAR military government, which the country largely isolated during its ongoing civil war. The Junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, declared a state of emergency and rarely made international support.
“We give an open invitation to organizations and nations that are willing to help the needy in our country,” he said late Friday.
The epicenter of the earthquake was near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city in which around 1.5 million people lived. Videos divided online showed that buildings had collapsed and the streets were strapped when people ran onto the street.
The quake also caused a partial collapse of a mosque in Taunghoo and killed three people.
In neighboring Thailand, the earthquake caused considerable damage, especially in Bangkok. A high-rise building near the Chatuchak Park collapsed, killed at least eight people and capture over 100 others.
The Thai Prime Minister Settha Thavisin explained an emergency zone in the capital and mobilized rescue teams to look for survivors.
The earthquake is beaten Myanmar In a time of extreme crisis. Since the military coup in 2021, the country has been involved in a brutal civil war, whereby armed rebel groups control large parts of the country. The persistent conflict has weakened Myanmar’s health system and disaster protection capabilities.
Humanitarian groups, including Amnesty International, have asked the Junta to provide unrestricted access for aid organizations. The United Nations special rapporteur for Myanmar, Tom Andrew, warned: “This earthquake is a disaster on a disaster.”
He found that over 20 million people in Myanmar already need humanitarian aid, with 3.5 million being sold internally in the war.
