The day following a strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar, rescuers have been laboring relentlessly through the debris with their hands, urgently looking for survivors in Mandalay, the nation’s second-largest city and the quake’s epicentre. According to a military leader in Myanmar, over 1,000 individuals have lost their lives, while a US agency has cautioned that the number could surpass 10,000.
The earthquake was so strong that even Bangkok, situated 900 kilometres away, experienced its effects, leading to the collapse of multiple iconic buildings and bridges.
Intense tremors were experienced in regions of India, such as Meghalaya and Manipur, along with Bangladesh, especially in Dhaka and Chattogram, and in China.
Myanmar’s military junta announced on Friday that the death toll has risen to 1,002, with 2,376 individuals injured following the earthquake yesterday.
Chilling accounts of the destruction are surfacing as those who lived through it share their terrifying stories from the incident yesterday.
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A survivor from Myanmar shared with the BBC that he was rescued from the debris after the earthquake hit while he was in the restroom. While he and others hurried to take cover in a different building, another earthquake struck, leading to the collapse of that structure too. He stated that his grandmother, aunt, and uncles are still unaccounted for, noting that their likelihood of survival is nonexistent.
After PM Modi announced India’s readiness to provide help, the country dispatched 15 tonnes of relief supplies, such as solar lamps, food packets, and kitchen sets, to Myanmar via an IAF C 130 J aircraft.
Describing it as ‘Operation Brahma,’ Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “India serves as a First Responder to help the citizens of Myanmar impacted by the significant earthquake yesterday.”
After the earthquake, the Thai government announced a state of emergency in the capital, Bangkok. A minimum of 10 individuals have lost their lives, and 100 construction workers are unaccounted for following the collapse of an incomplete skyscraper in Bangkok on Friday.
