MYANMAR’S military government announced on Saturday that the death toll had risen to 1,002, a significant increase from the initial state media report of 144 fatalities on Friday.
The ICIR reports that foreign rescue teams arrived in Myanmar on Saturday to aid in the search for survivors after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake around midday on Friday severely damaged critical infrastructure in the war-torn nation.
Myanmar, already ravaged by civil war since a 2021 military coup that overthrew its elected civilian government, suffered widespread impact from the earthquake, affecting regions from the central plains near Mandalay to the hills of Shan.
At least nine people were killed in neighboring Thailand, where the earthquake shook buildings and caused a partially constructed skyscraper to collapse in Bangkok, trapping 30 people under the rubble and leaving 49 missing.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s predictive model estimated that Myanmar’s death toll could surpass 10,000, with economic losses potentially exceeding the country’s annual output.
The ICIR reported that the earthquake damaged roads, bridges, and buildings across Myanmar, prompting the junta’s top general to make a rare appeal for international aid on Friday.
“Search and rescue operations are currently being carried out in the affected areas,” the junta said in a statement on state media on Saturday.
A Chinese rescue team arrived in Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial capital, located hundreds of kilometers from the hardest-hit cities of Mandalay and Naypyitaw, where sections of a 1,000-bed hospital were damaged.
Meanwhile, Russia, India, Malaysia, and Singapore dispatched plane loads of relief supplies and personnel to Myanmar.
“We will continue to monitor the developments and more aid will follow,” said Indian Foreign Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
South Korea announced an initial donation of $2 million in humanitarian aid to Myanmar, to be delivered through international organizations.
Similarly, the United States has pledged to provide some assistance, despite its strained relations with Myanmar’s military and sanctions on its officials, including junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.
The ICIR reported that Myanmar has faced several natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.