Heavily Increased Toll of the Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand
The toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar last Friday has risen sharply, reaching at least 3,003 dead, 4,600 injured, and 373 missing, according to a report by the national broadcaster MRTV published on Wednesday. Local sources indicate even higher figures, as the 7.7 magnitude earthquake is one of the most destructive the country has experienced in recent decades.
Relief operations face numerous challenges, primarily due to damaged roads, destroyed bridges, and instability in a country plagued by civil war. More than 1,000 foreign rescuers have been sent to Myanmar to assist local under-equipped services, particularly in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city, located near the earthquake’s epicenter.
The earthquake also had repercussions in neighboring Thailand, where it caused the deaths of at least 22 people in the capital, Bangkok, according to a toll released on Wednesday. Dozens of others remain missing, and rescue teams continue their search for survivors among the rubble of a 30-story construction tower that collapsed.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered an investigation into the materials and safety standards used at the construction site, requesting a report from a team of experts within the week.
