Myanmar's earthquake death toll jumps to more than 1,000

The death toll from a powerful 77 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar jumped to more than 1000 on Saturday as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of the scores of buildings that collapsed when it struck near the countrys secondlargest city reported news agency Associated PressThe countrys militaryled government said in a statement that 1002 people have now been found dead and another 2376 injured with 30 others missing The statement suggested the numbers could still rise saying detailed figures are still being collected reported the Associated PressMyanmar is in the throes of a prolonged and bloody civil war which is already responsible for a massive humanitarian crisis It makes movement around the country both difficult and dangerous complicating relief efforts and raising fears that the death toll could still rise precipitouslyThe earthquake struck midday Friday with an epicentre not far from Mandalay followed by several aftershocks including one measuring a strong 64 magnitude It sent buildings in many areas toppling to the ground buckled roads caused bridges to collapse and burst a damreported the Associated PressIn neighbouring Thailand the quake rocked the greater Bangkok area home to some 17 million people many of whom live in highrise buildings and other parts of the countryreported the Associated PressBangkok city authorities said so far six people have been found dead 26 injured and 47 are still missing most from a construction site near the capitals popular Chatuchak marketWhen the quake hit the 33story highrise being built by a Chinese firm for the Thai government wobbled then came crashing to the ground in a massive plume of dust that sent people screaming and fleeing from the sceneOn Saturday more heavy equipment was brought in to move the tons of rubble but hope was fading among friends and family members of the missing that they would be found aliveMyanmar sits on a major fault lineEarthquakes are rare in Bangkok but relatively common in Myanmar The country sits on the Sagaing Fault a major northsouth fault that separates the India plate and the Sunda plate reported the Associated PressBrian Baptie a seismologist with the British Geological Survey said it appears a 200 kilometer 125 mile section of the fault ruptured for just over a minute with a slip of up to 5 meters 164 feet in places causing intense ground shaking in an area where most of the population lives in buildings constructed of timber and unreinforced brick masonry reported the Associated PressWhen you have a large earthquake in an area where there are over a million people many of them living in vulnerable buildings the consequences can often be disastrous he said in a statement reported the Associated PressFrom initial reports that seems likely to be the case hereA natural disaster on top of a civil warMyanmars government said blood was in high demand in the hardesthit areas In a country where prior governments sometimes have been slow to accept foreign aid Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar was ready to accept outside assistance reported the Associated PressMyanmars military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and is now involved in a bloody civil war with longestablished militias and newly formed prodemocracy onesGovernment forces have lost control of much of Myanmar and many places are incredibly dangerous or simply impossible for aid groups to reach More than 3 million people have been displaced by the fighting and nearly 20 million are in need according to the United NationsAlthough a full picture of the damage is still emerging most of us have never seen such destruction said Haider Yaqub Myanmar country director for the NGO Plan International from Yangon reported the Associated PressWithout a doubt the humanitarian needs will be significantRescue groups head to MyanmarChina and Russia are the largest suppliers of weapons to Myanmars military and were among the first to step in with humanitarian aidA 37member team from the Chinese province of Yunnan reached the city of Yangon early Saturday with earthquake detectors drones and other supplies the official Xinhua news agency reportedRussias emergencies ministry dispatched two planes carrying 120 rescuers and supplies according to a report from the Russian state news agency TassIndia sent a search and rescue team and a medical team as well as provisions while Malaysias foreign ministry said the country will send 50 people on Sunday to help identify and provide aid to the worsthit areasSouth Korea announced it would provide 2 million worth of humanitarian aid to Myanmar through international organizations to support recovery efforts The Foreign Ministry added that Seoul would closely monitor the situation and consider additional support if neededThe United Nations allocated 5 million to start relief efforts President Donald Trump said Friday that the US was going to help with the response but some experts were concerned about this effort given his administrations deep cuts in foreign assistanceThe Trump administrations cuts to the United States Agency for International Development have already forced the United Nations and nongovernmental organization to cut many programs in MyanmarWith inputs Associated Press