Myanmar Earthquake: Rescue Efforts Continue as Death Toll Rises

It’s mainly been local volunteers, local people who are just trying to find their loved ones.

Manager of Catholic Relief Services Cara Bragg, referring to the aftermath in Myanmar where a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit midday Friday as well as a 6.4 magnitude earthquake soon after. Aftershocks continued over the weekend, with a 5.1 magnitude tremor on Sunday.

Why It Matters: Myanmar, also known as Burma, experienced its most powerful earthquake in more than a century. Three days later, relief efforts continue, but officials warn the death toll will rise. At least 2,000 people have died, and thousands more are injured, as buildings and infrastructure toppled to the ground across the country. The earthquake rocked buildings and caused damage as far as Bangkok, Thailand — located over 600 miles from the earthquake’s epicenter — killing at least 18 people.

• Myanmar’s rescue efforts remain complicated by the ongoing civil war that began in 2021 when the military seized power from the elected government. In the years since, Myanmar has experienced armed resistance and increasingly difficult living conditions, such as limited communication networks, minimal health infrastructure and depleted food and shelter resources.
• Relief efforts in residential areas have been primarily carried out by local residents moving rubble by hand in high temperatures, leaving many places unreached. Relief efforts are further challenged by damaged infrastructure, like roads, bridges and the city’s main airport.
• Several countries around the world have deployed aid, including China, Russia, India, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, and aid is pledged from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and the U.S., among others.

Read More: Golden rescue window closing three days after quake kills more than 1,700 in Myanmar and Thailand. Here’s what we know (CNN)

Smell of death permeates Myanmar cities after quake kills over 1,600 and leaves countless buried (The Associated Press)

Image Credit: The Associated Press