Naypyidaw, Mar 30 (V7N) – The death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar has risen to 1,644, with 3,408 people injured and 139 still missing, according to government officials.
Authorities are still recovering bodies and survivors from the rubble in several affected cities, including Naypyidaw, Mandalay, and Sagaing. Rescue efforts, which began on Friday (March 28), are ongoing, but signs of destruction remain visible across the affected regions.
The powerful earthquake struck at 12:20 PM local time on Friday, with its epicenter located 16 kilometers northwest of Sagaing, approximately 100 kilometers north of the capital Naypyidaw.
The tremors were felt in multiple neighboring countries, including Thailand, southwest China, India, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Bangladesh. Among these, Thailand has suffered the most damage.
Local media reports indicate that in Bangkok, several high-rise buildings collapsed, leaving over 100 people missing. Authorities have so far recovered 10 bodies, all of whom died due to building collapses triggered by the earthquake.
Authorities in Myanmar and neighboring nations are continuing rescue operations, but the rising death toll and the number of missing persons raise concerns over further casualties.
END/MSS/AJ
Comment: