The death toll from a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar rose to 1,644 on Saturday, the military junta said. At least 139 people are still missing. In neighbouring Thailand, at least nine people were killed and up to 100 workers still unaccounted for after a Bangkok skyscraper under construction collapsed. Follow our liveblog for all the latest developments.
Woman rescued alive from collapsed Mandalay apartment block
Rescuers pulled a woman alive from the wreckage of a collapsed apartment building in Mandalay on Saturday, AFP journalists saw, 30 hours after a devastating quake hit Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand.
Phyu Lay Khaing, 30, was brought out of the Sky Villa Condominium by rescuers and carried by stretcher to be embraced by her husband Ye Aung and taken to hospital.
A Red Cross official told AFP earlier that more than 90 people could be trapped under the remains of the apartment block.
‘We need immediate medical care for earthquake survivors in Myanmar’
The death toll from a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar jumped to more than 1,000 on Saturday as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of scores of buildings that collapsed when it struck near the country’s second-largest city.
World Health Organization spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said, “Myanmar has been a conflict area for years, and the health system has been weakened. The country may not have all the necessary capacity to deal with this catastrophe.”
“We need immediate medical care for earthquake survivors,” he added.
Control tower at Myanmar airport collapsed in earthquake, AP says
Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analysed by The Associated Press show the earthquake toppled the air traffic control tower at Naypyitaw International Airport.
The photos taken Saturday show the tower toppled over as if sheered from its base. Debris lay scattered from the top of the tower, which controlled all air traffic in the capital of Myanmar.
It wasn’t immediately clear if there had been any injuries in the collapse, though the tower would have had staff inside it at the time of the earthquake Friday. It likely also stopped air traffic into the international airport, given all electronics and radar would have been routed into the tower for controllers.
Global aid efforts for Myanmar quake relief
- China
China sent an 82-person team of rescuers to Myanmar on Saturday, Beijing’s emergency management ministry said. The Chinese government will also provide Myanmar with 100 million yuan ($13.8 million) in emergency humanitarian assistance, with shipments to begin Monday, its international aid agency said Saturday.
- USA
US President Donald Trump on Friday said Washington would assist Myanmar after it was hit by the quake. “It’s terrible,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “It’s a real bad one, and we will be helping. We’ve already spoken with the country.”
- India
An Indian aid flight landed in Myanmar on Saturday. Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said a C-130 military transport plane had been dispatched carrying hygiene kits, blankets, food parcels and other essentials. “A search and rescue team and medical team is also accompanying this flight,” he added.
- South Korea
South Korea’s foreign ministry said it would send $2 million in humanitarian assistance “to support urgent rescue and relief efforts” after the earthquake. “The Korean government hopes that this support will help save lives and alleviate suffering in the affected areas,” the ministry said in a statement.
- Malaysia
Malaysia’s foreign ministry said it would also send a team to Myanmar. The deployment would consist of one commander and 49 rescue personnel “to support ongoing humanitarian and disaster relief operations”.
