Myanmar’s military rulers let in hundreds of foreign rescue personnel on Saturday after an earthquake killed over 1,000 people, the deadliest natural disaster to hit the impoverished, war-torn country in years.
Friday’s 7.7 magnitude quake, among the biggest to jolt the Southeast Asian nation in the last century, crippled airports, bridges and highways amid a civil war that has wrecked the economy and displaced millions.
The death toll in Myanmar climbed to 1,002, the military government said on Saturday. In neighbouring Thailand, where the quake rattled buildings and brought down a skyscraper under construction in the capital Bangkok, at least nine people were killed.
Survivors in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-biggest city, dug with their bare hands on Friday in desperate attempts to save those still trapped, lacking heavy machinery and with authorities absent.
In Bangkok on Saturday, rescue operations continued at the site of the 33-storey tower’s collapse, where 47 people were missing or trapped under the rubble — including workers from Myanmar.
Predictive modelling by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated Myanmar’s death toll could exceed 10,000 and losses could exceed the country’s annual economic output.
A day after making a rare call for international assistance, Myanmar’s junta chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, travelled to hard-hit Mandalay near the epicentre of the quake, which brought down buildings and triggered fires in some areas.
“The Chairman of the State Administration Council instructed authorities to expedite search and rescue efforts and address any urgent needs,” the junta said in a statement on state media, referring to Min Aung Hlaing.
Airports closed
An initial assessment by Myanmar’s opposition National Unity Government said at least 2,900 buildings, 30 roads and seven bridges had been damaged by the quake.
“Due to significant damage, Naypyitaw and Mandalay international airports are temporarily closed,” said the NUG, which includes remnants of the elected civilian government ousted by the military in a 2021 coup that triggered the civil war.
At the airport in Naypyitaw, Myanmar’s purpose-built capital city, a control tower collapsed, rendering it inoperable, a person with knowledge of the situation told Reuters. It wasn’t immediately clear if there had been any injuries.
Flights carrying relief supplies from India and rescue teams from China landed in Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial capital, instead of at the airports in Mandalay and Naypyitaw.
A powerful earthquake rocked Southeast Asia on Friday, killing several people, bringing down a skyscraper under construction in Bangkok and toppling buildings in neighbouring Myanmar, where the ruling junta declared a state of emergency in some areas.
Russia, Malaysia and Singapore were also sending planeloads of relief supplies and personnel.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a 10-country bloc that includes Myanmar, said that it recognized the urgent need for humanitarian assistance. “ASEAN stands ready to support relief and recovery efforts,” the group said in a statement.
South Korea said it would provide an initial $2 million US in humanitarian aid to Myanmar through international organizations.
The United States, which has a testy relationship with the Myanmar military and has sanctioned its officials, including Min Aung Hlaing, has said it would provide some assistance.
Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone with the junta chief, China’s embassy in Myanmar said on Saturday, and said Beijing would provide $13.77 million US worth of aid, including tents, blankets and emergency medical kits.
‘No help coming’
The quake, which hit around lunchtime on Friday, impacted wide swathes of Myanmar, from the central plains around Mandalay to the hills of Shan, parts of which are not completely under the junta’s control.
After he was dragged out from under a wall by other residents in Mandalay, Htet Min Oo, 25, said he tried to clear the rubble of a crumpled building himself to rescue his grandmother and two uncles — but eventually gave up.
“I don’t know if they are still alive under the debris,” he told Reuters, breaking into tears. “After so long, I don’t think there’s any hope.”
Rescue operations in Mandalay could not match the scale of the disaster, another resident said by phone, asking not to be named because of security concerns.
“Many people are trapped but there is no help coming just simply because there isn’t manpower or equipment or vehicles,” he said.
Construction workers trapped in Bangkok
In Bangkok, 1,000 kilometres from the epicentre, authorities on Saturday pushed ahead with efforts to find construction workers trapped under the rubble of the collapsed tower, using excavators, drones and search-and-rescue dogs.
Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said all possible resources had been deployed to search for survivors and to bring out bodies of the deceased.
“We always have hope,” he told reporters. “We’re still working around the clock.”
Chanpen Kaewnoi, 39, said she rushed over on Friday afternoon after seeing news reports that the under-construction building where her mother and younger sister were working had collapsed.
“I called my sister, but no matter how many times I tried to call her there was no connection,” she said after a sleepless night at the site.
“I want to wait for my mother and sister,” said Chanpen, herself a construction worker. “I want to see their faces again.”
Across the sprawling metropolis, where such quakes are rare, there may be up to 5,000 damaged buildings, including residential towers, said Anek Siripanichgorn, a board member of the Council of Engineers Thailand, which is helping municipal authorities.
“We are going through hundreds of cases,” he said. “If we see cases where there is potential danger, we will immediately send engineers.”
