Residents Still Searching For Survivors After Myanmar Quake

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

MANDALAY (Worthy News) – Residents risked their lives climbing into the remains of collapsed buildings on Sunday as they desperately searched for survivors in the
devastated city of Mandalay after Friday’s massive earthquake killed more than 1,600 people in Myanmar and 18 in neighboring Thailand.

Many remained missing, adding to concerns that the final death toll of the 7.7 magnitude quake could approach 2,000 or more in Myanmar, also known as Burma, which is already suffering from ongoing civil war and the junta military’s bombing raids.

The initial 7.7-magnitude quake struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock.

The tremors collapsed buildings, downed bridges, and buckled roads, causing mass destruction in this city of more than 1.7 million people, the country’s second-largest.

The tremors collapsed buildings, downed bridges, and buckled roads, with mass destruction seen in the city of more than 1.7 million people, the country’s second-largest.

However, in Myanmar, residents gathered near a collapsed temple after the earthquake, whose epicenter was 11 miles (17.6 kilometers) from Mandalay.

‘NO ONE CAME’

“No one came,” some Myanmar volunteers said as they dug with their bare hands to save earthquake victims. One rescue worker said most city operations were conducted by small, self-organized resident groups that lacked the required equipment.

The United Nations warned that rescue operations were severely hindered by the blocked roads and collapsed buildings, adding that “a lack of medical supplies” is making the response to the earthquake much more complicated than it would be otherwise.

Hospitals in parts of central and northwestern Myanmar, including Mandalay and Sagaing, were struggling to cope with the influx of injured people, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

“A severe shortage of medical supplies is hampering response efforts, including trauma kits, blood bags, anesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicines, and tents for health workers,” OCHA said.

Marcoluigi Corsi, U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator for war-torn Myanmar, said Myanmar had already been “reeling from an alarming humanitarian crisis, largely driven by persistent conflict and recurrent disasters.”

“At this critical time, the people of Myanmar urgently need the steadfast support of the international community,” he added.

Several countries, including the United States, Indonesia, India, and France, were also involved in aid operations.

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