Bangkok: Myanmar’s ruling military confirmed on Saturday that the death toll from the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake had reached 1,644, with the recovery of more bodies from collapsed buildings in the wake of the disaster.
This marks a significant increase from the 1,002 reported earlier in the day, reflecting the widespread devastation and difficulty in verifying casualties across affected regions.
The earthquake, which struck near Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay, also left 3,408 people injured and 139 missing, as rescue operations continue across the hardest-hit areas.
Despite international aid teams being deployed, efforts are complicated by damaged infrastructure, particularly in Mandalay and Naypyitaw, the capital.
Key airports in these cities remain inoperable, impeding the arrival of more rescue teams and supplies.
The earthquake, which hit on Friday afternoon, was followed by several aftershocks, including a 6.4-magnitude tremor.
The tremors caused widespread destruction—buildings crumbled, roads buckled, bridges collapsed, and a dam burst.
In Naypyitaw, repair teams worked on damaged roads, but the city remained largely without power or communication services.
In addition to the devastation in Myanmar, the quake also affected neighbouring Thailand, shaking the greater Bangkok area, where it caused the collapse of a high-rise building under construction.
The confirmed death toll in Thailand has reached 10, with 78 people still unaccounted for.
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Rescue teams continue to search the rubble, though hopes of finding survivors are dwindling as the operation progresses.
As Myanmar grapples with the aftermath of the earthquake, the ongoing civil war in the country complicates the delivery of aid, with security concerns and movement restrictions further hampering relief efforts.
With the death toll expected to rise, the full scale of the disaster remains unclear.
