Myanmar Earthquake: Death Toll Tops 2,700 as Survivors Struggle for Aid

Rabat – Authorities in Myanmar held a minute of silence today to honor the victims of a powerful earthquake that struck the country on March 28. The disaster has killed more than 2,700 people, including 50 children who died when their preschool collapsed near Mandalay.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake, the strongest in over a century, destroyed homes, ancient pagodas, and modern buildings, and left thousands of people homeless. Many survivors are still sleeping in the open, fearing aftershocks or further building collapses.

Myanmar’s military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, said in a televised speech that the death toll had risen to 2,719 and could surpass 3,000. He reported that 4,521 people were injured and 441 remain missing. At least 20 people were also killed in neighboring Thailand where the earthquake was also felt.

Many survivors in central Myanmar are struggling to find food, water, and shelter. Aid workers report that hospitals are treating injured people outdoors due to a lack of facilities and extreme heat. 

Some survivors have managed to find tents, but many, including babies and children, are sleeping on blankets in the streets to avoid damaged buildings. 

Rescue workers in Naypyidaw pulled a 63-year-old woman alive from the rubble on Tuesday, 91 hours after the earthquake struck. However, officials say the chances of finding more survivors are slim.

Myanmar’s ongoing civil conflict has made it even harder to deliver aid. The military, which seized power in a 2021 coup, has reportedly blocked access to some of the worst-affected areas.

Amnesty International has called on the military to allow humanitarian aid to reach all affected areas. 

In Thailand, where the earthquake also caused devastation, rescuers continue searching for survivors in the rubble of an unfinished skyscraper in Bangkok.