Myanmar Earthquake Death Toll Exceeds 3,000; Impending Rains Threaten Rescue Efforts
The devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar last Friday has claimed over 3,000 lives, with hundreds still missing. Rescue and aid workers are now facing a new challenge as forecasts predict unseasonal heavy rains will hit the regions hardest hit by the tremor.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest to hit the Southeast Asian nation in a century, has impacted an area home to 28 million people. Buildings have collapsed, communities have been flattened, and countless individuals are without food, water, and shelter.
According to the Myanmar embassy in Japan, the death toll reached 3,003 on Wednesday, with 4,515 injured and 351 still unaccounted for. The race against time to find survivors continues, but conditions are about to become significantly more difficult.
Weather officials have warned that unseasonal rains, expected from Sunday to April 11, will threaten areas like Mandalay, Sagaing, and the capital Naypyidaw, which were already devastated by the earthquake.
"Rain is incoming and there are still so many buried," a Myanmar aid worker told Reuters. "And in Mandalay, especially, if it starts to rain, people who are buried will drown even if they've survived until this point."
International aid efforts are underway. The Myanmar embassy in Japan reported 53 airlifts of aid into the country, with more than 1,900 rescue workers arriving from 15 countries, including neighboring Southeast Asian nations, China, India, and Russia.
Despite the immense devastation, Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing is scheduled to depart for a regional summit in Bangkok on Thursday. The trip is an uncommon foreign visit for a general who is considered a pariah by many countries and faces Western sanctions and an International Criminal Court investigation.
The impending rains will exacerbate the challenges faced by aid and rescue organizations, who are appealing for unimpeded access to all affected areas, despite the ongoing civil war. The military junta has struggled to maintain control of Myanmar since seizing power in a 2021 coup, which ousted the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
The coup has led to international isolation, and Myanmar's economy and essential services, including healthcare, have deteriorated significantly amidst the internal strife.
In a seemingly related move, state-run MRTV announced a unilateral government ceasefire, effective immediately for 20 days, to support earthquake relief efforts. However, the announcement also warned that authorities would "respond accordingly" if rebel groups launch attacks. This follows a declaration of a ceasefire by a major rebel alliance on Tuesday to facilitate humanitarian aid.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Thailand, search efforts continued in Bangkok, where a skyscraper under construction collapsed as a result of the quake. Search teams are combing through the debris in the hope of finding survivors.
