Latest news with #NaingLinTun
Gulf Today
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Myanmar's junta declares quake ceasefire as death toll tops 3,000
Myanmar's ruling military declared a temporary ceasefire in the country's civil war on Wednesday to facilitate relief efforts following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that has killed more than 3,000 people. The surprise announcement by military leaders who also head the unelected government came late on Wednesday on state television MRTV, which said the halt in fighting would run until April 22 to show compassion for people affected by Friday's quake. People sleep in a makeshift tent set up on the street in Mandalay on Wednesday. AFP The announcement followed unilateral temporary ceasefires announced by armed resistance groups opposed to military rule, and the military warned that those groups must refrain from attacking the state and regrouping, or else face "necessary" measures. The resistance forces have also reserved the right to fight in self-defence. Rescuers pulling two men alive from the ruins of a hotel in Myanmar's capital. AP Earlier on Wednesday, rescuers pulled two men alive from the ruins of a hotel in Myanmar's capital, a third from a guesthouse in another city, and another in the country's second city, Mandalay, five days after the quake. But most teams were finding only bodies. The quake hit midday on Friday, toppling thousands of buildings, collapsing bridges and buckling roads. The death toll rose to 3,003 on Wednesday, with more than 4,500 people injured, MRTV reported. Local reports suggest much higher figures. The quake worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis due to Myanmar's civil war. More than 3 million people had been displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million were in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations. Rescuers work at damaged buildings in the aftermath of Friday's earthquake, in Naypyitaw. AP In the capital, Naypyitaw, a team of Turkish and local rescue workers used an endoscopic camera to locate Naing Lin Tun on a lower floor of the damaged hotel where he worked. They pulled him gingerly through a hole jackhammered through a floor and loaded him on to a gurney nearly 108 hours after he was first trapped. Shirtless and covered in dust, he appeared weak but conscious in a video released by the local fire department, as he was fitted with an IV drip and taken away. State-run MRTV reported later in the day that another man was saved from the same building, more than 121 hours after the quake struck. Both were age 26. A joint team of Myanmar and Turkish rescuers pulls a man alive from the rubble of a hotel in Naypyidaw. AFP Another man, a 47-year-old primary school principal, was rescued by a team of Malaysian and local crews from a collapsed guesthouse in the Sagaing township, near the epicenter of the earthquake close to Myanmar's second-largest city, Mandalay, where a fourth rescue was reported Wednesday night. The earthquake also rocked neighboring Thailand, causing the collapse of a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok. One body was removed from the rubble early Wednesday, raising the death total in Bangkok to 22 with 35 injured, primarily at the construction site. Associated Press
The Independent
02-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Myanmar earthquake: four pulled alive from rubble as military declares ceasefire
Myanmar 's ruling military has declared a temporary ceasefire in the country's civil war to facilitate relief efforts following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that has killed more than 3,000 people. The announcement by the military's high command was reported on state television MRTV, which said the truce would run until April 22 and was aimed at showing compassion for people affected by last Friday's disaster. It followed unilateral temporary ceasefires announced by armed resistance groups opposed to military rule. Those groups must refrain from attacking the state, or regrouping, or else the military will take "necessary" measures, the army's statement said. It came as rescuers pulled two men alive from the ruins of a hotel in Myanmar's capital, a third from a guesthouse in another city, and another in the country's second city, Mandalay, five days after the quake. But most teams were finding only bodies. The quake hit at midday on Friday, toppling thousands of buildings, collapsing bridges and buckling roads. The death toll rose to 3,003 on Wednesday, with more than 4,500 people injured, MRTV reported. Local reports suggest much higher figures. It comes amid civil war in Myanmar, making a dire humanitarian crisis even worse. More than three million people had been displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million were in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations. Two of the major armed resistance forces fighting the military, which seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, had announced ceasefires to facilitate the humanitarian response to the earthquake, though the military initially did not relent in its attacks. In the capital Naypyitaw, a team of Turkish and local rescue workers used an endoscopic camera to locate Naing Lin Tun on a lower floor of the damaged hotel where he worked. They pulled him gingerly through a hole jackhammered through a floor and loaded him on to a gurney nearly 108 hours after he was first trapped. Shirtless and covered in dust, he appeared weak but conscious in a video released by the local fire department, as he was fitted with an IV drip and taken away. State-run MRTV reported later in the day that another man was saved from the same building, more than 121 hours after the quake struck. Both were aged 26. Another man was rescued by a team of Malaysian and local crews from a collapsed guesthouse in the Sagaing township, near the epicentre of the earthquake close to Myanmar's second-largest city, Mandalay. The earthquake also rocked neighbouring Thailand, causing the collapse of a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok. One body was removed from the rubble early on Wednesday, raising the death toll in Bangkok to 22 with 35 injured, primarily at the construction site. The Three Brotherhood Alliance, one of a powerful group of militias that has taken a large swathe of the country from the military, announced a unilateral one-month ceasefire on Tuesday to facilitate the humanitarian response. The shadow opposition National Unity Government founded by legislators ousted in 2021 had already called a ceasefire for its forces. The announcements had put pressure on the military government to follow suit. Countries have pledged millions in assistance to help Myanmar and humanitarian aid organisations with the monumental task ahead. Most of the details so far have come from Mandalay, which was near the epicentre of the earthquake, and Naypyitaw, about 165 miles north of Mandalay. Many areas are without power, telephone or mobile phone connections and difficult to reach by road, but more reports are beginning to trickle in. In Singu township, about 40 miles north of Mandalay, 27 gold miners were killed in a collapse, the independent Democratic Voice of Burma reported.
Los Angeles Times
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Myanmar's ruling military declares a ceasefire in civil war to facilitate quake relief
BANGKOK — Myanmar's ruling military declared a temporary ceasefire in the country's civil war Wednesday to facilitate relief efforts following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that has killed more than 2,800 people. The announcement by the military's high command was reported late Wednesday on state television MRTV, which said the truce would run until April 22 and was aimed at showing compassion for people affected by Friday's quake. The announcement followed unilateral temporary ceasefires announced by armed resistance groups opposed to military rule. Those groups must refrain from attacking the state, or regrouping, or else the military will take 'necessary' measures, the army's statement said. Earlier Wednesday, rescuers pulled two men alive from the ruins of a hotel in Myanmar's capital and a third from a guesthouse in another city, five days after the quake. But most teams were finding only bodies. The quake hit midday Friday, toppling thousands of buildings, collapsing bridges and buckling roads. The death toll rose to 2,886 on Wednesday, with another 4,639 injured, according to state television MRTV. Local reports suggest much higher figures. The earthquake came amid civil war in Myanmar, making a dire humanitarian crisis even worse. More than 3 million people had been displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million were in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations. Two of the major armed resistance forces fighting the military, which seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, had announced ceasefires to facilitate the humanitarian response to the earthquake, though the military initially did not relent in its attacks. In the capital, Naypyitaw, a team of Turkish and local rescue workers used an endoscopic camera to locate Naing Lin Tun on a lower floor of the damaged hotel where he worked. They pulled him gingerly through a hole jackhammered through a floor and loaded him on to a gurney nearly 108 hours after he was first trapped. Shirtless and covered in dust, he appeared weak but conscious in a video released by the local fire department, as he was fitted with an IV drip and taken away. State-run MRTV reported later in the day that another man was saved from the same building, more than 121 hours after the quake struck. Both were age 26. Another man was rescued by a team of Malaysian and local crews from a collapsed guesthouse in the Sagaing township, near the epicenter of the earthquake close to Myanmar's second-largest city, Mandalay. The earthquake also rocked neighboring Thailand, causing the collapse of a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok. One body was removed from the rubble early Wednesday, raising the death total in Bangkok to 22 with 35 injured, primarily at the construction site. The Three Brotherhood Alliance, one of a powerful group of militias that has taken a large swath of the country from the military, announced a unilateral one-month ceasefire on Tuesday to facilitate the humanitarian response. The shadow opposition National Unity Government founded by lawmakers ousted in 2021 had already called a ceasefire for its forces. The announcements had put pressure on the military government to follow suit. Before Wednesday's ceasefire announcement, an opposition militia belonging to the Brotherhood Alliance reported that the military fired on a relief convoy of nine Chinese Red Cross vehicles late Tuesday in the northern part of Shan state near Ohn Ma Tee village. The Ta'ang National Liberation Army said that the Chinese Red Cross was bringing supplies to Mandalay and had reported its route to the military. But Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, spokesman for the military government, said that the convoy hadn't notified authorities of its route ahead of time, MRTV reported. While not mentioning the Red Cross, he said that security forces had fired into the air to deter a convoy that refused to stop near Ohn Ma Tee village, the site of recent fighting with the TNLA. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun didn't comment on the attack. Neighboring China is economically important to Myanmar, and also one of the military's largest suppliers of weapons, along with Russia. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it was looking into the matter. Countries have pledged millions in assistance to help Myanmar and humanitarian aid organizations with the monumental task ahead. Australia on Wednesday said it was providing another $4.5 million, in addition to $1.25 million it had already committed, and had a rapid response team on the ground. India has flown in aid and sent two navy ships with supplies as well as providing around 200 rescue workers. Multiple other countries have sent teams, including 270 people from China, 212 from Russia and 122 from the United Arab Emirates. A three-person team from the U.S. Agency for International Development arrived Tuesday to determine how best to respond given limited U.S. resources due to the slashing of the foreign aid budget and dismantling of the agency as an independent operation. Washington has said it would provide $2 million in emergency assistance. Most of the details so far have come from Mandalay, which was near the epicenter of the earthquake, and Naypyitaw, about 165 miles north of Mandalay. Many areas are without power, telephone or cellphone connections, and difficult to reach by road, but more reports are beginning to trickle in. In Singu township, about 40 miles north of Mandalay, 27 gold miners were killed in a cave-in, the independent Democratic Voice of Burma reported. In the area of Inle Lake, northeast of the capital, many people died when homes built on wooden stilts in the water collapsed in the earthquake, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported without providing specific figures. Rising writes for the Associated Press. Matthew Lee in Washington, Jamey Keaten in Geneva and Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok contributed to this report.
CBC
02-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Man pulled out alive after nearly 5 days in Myanmar earthquake rubble
Rescue crews in Myanmar pulled a 26-year-old man out alive from the rubble of the capital city hotel where he worked early on Wednesday, but most teams were finding only bodies five days after a massive earthquake hit the country. After using an endoscopic camera to pinpoint Naing Lin Tun's location in the rubble and confirm that he was alive, crews gingerly pulled the man through a hole jackhammered through a floor and loaded him on to a gurney nearly 108 hours after he was trapped in the hotel where he worked. Shirtless and covered in dust, Naing Lin Tun appeared weak but conscious in a video released by the local fire department, as he was fitted with an IV drip and taken away. State-run MRTV reported that the rescue in the city of Naypyitaw was carried out by Turkish and local teams and took more than nine hours. The 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit midday on Friday, toppling thousands of buildings, collapsing bridges and buckling roads. So far, 2,886 people have been reported dead in Myanmar and another 4,639 injured, according to state television MRTV, but local reports suggest much higher figures. The earthquake also rocked neighbouring Thailand, causing the collapse of a highrise building under construction in Bangkok. One body was removed from the rubble early on Wednesday, raising the death total in Bangkok to 22, with 34 injured, primarily at the construction site. Mine cave-in Myanmar has been wracked by civil war between the ruling junta and rebel groups, and the earthquake is making a dire humanitarian crisis even worse, with more than three million people displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations. On Tuesday, Tom Andrews, a monitor on rights in Myanmar commissioned by the UN-backed Human Rights Council, said on X that military attacks must stop to facilitate aid. "The focus in Myanmar must be on saving lives, not taking them," he said. Countries have pledged millions in assistance to help Myanmar and humanitarian aid organizations with the monumental task ahead. India has flown in aid and sent two Navy ships with supplies, as well as providing some 200 rescue workers. Multiple other countries have sent teams, including 270 people from China, 212 from Russia and 122 from the United Arab Emirates. A three-person team from the U.S. Agency for International Development arrived Tuesday to determine how best to respond given limited U.S. resources, due to the slashing of the foreign aid budget and dismantling of the agency as an independent operation. Washington said on the weekend it would provide $2 million in emergency assistance. Most of the details from Myanmar so far have come from Mandalay, the second-largest city, which was near the epicentre of the earthquake, and the capital, Naypyitaw, about 270 kilometres north of Mandalay. Many areas are without power, telephone or cell connections, and difficult to reach by road, but more reports are beginning to trickle in. In Singu township, about 65 kilometres north of Mandalay, 27 gold miners were killed in a cave-in, the independent Democratic Voice of Burma reported.
Euronews
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Man rescued from rubble in Myanmar five days after devastating magnitude-7.7 quake
ADVERTISEMENT A 26-year-old man has been pulled from the rubble in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, five days after the country was struck by a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake. Local and Turkish rescue crews located the man, Naing Lin Tun, and established that he was still alive using an endoscopic camera. They then made a hole through the rubble of the hotel where he worked and brought him to safety on Wednesday morning, almost 108 hours after he was buried. The rescue operation took more than nine hours, according to the state-run MRTV. Five days after the deadly earthquake, hopes are fading of finding other survivors, with rescue crews hampered by the country's ongoing civil war, as well as by the severe damage the quake has caused to roads and bridges. Damaged buildings in the capital Naypyidaw, 2 April, 2025 AP Photo MRTV reported on Wednesday that the death toll in Myanmar has risen to 2,886, with another 4,639 people injured. In neighbouring Thailand, which was also affected, authorities said that at least 22 people had been killed. The death toll in Myanmar is expected to rise above 3,000 on Wednesday, said Min Aung Hlaing, the junta chief who seized power in a military coup in 2021. Humanitarian groups have called for a ceasefire between the military and various armed ethnic groups to facilitate aid deliveries. Although some rebel groups have announced unilateral ceasefires, reports suggest that the junta is still launching attacks in areas damaged by the earthquake. Related Is it safe to travel to Thailand and is Bangkok airport open? Latest advice after Myanmar earthquake Hopes fading for more survivors in Myanmar's devastating earthquake Tom Andrews, the UN's special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, said the military attacks must stop. "The focus in Myanmar must be on saving lives, not taking them," he said. Friday's earthquake has worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis in Myanmar. Even before the disaster, nearly 20 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.
