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Jordan Times
02-04-2025
- General
- Jordan Times
Myanmar quake toll passes 2,700, nation halts to honour victims
Heavy machinery is used to clear the debris at the site of an under-construction building collapse in Bangkok on April 2, 2025, five days after an earthquake struck central Myanmar and Thailand (AFP photo) Mandalay, Myanmar — Emergency workers in Myanmar rescued a woman on Tuesday who had been trapped for more than 90 hours under the rubble of a building after a devastating earthquake that has killed at least 2,700 people. The woman, around 63 years old, was found alive and transferred to a hospital, the Myanmar Fire Services Department said, a rare moment of hope as the country held a minute's silence to honour the dead. Four days after the shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck, many people in Myanmar are still sleeping outdoors, either unable to return to ruined homes or afraid of further aftershocks. The head of the ruling junta, Min Aung Hlaing, said 2,719 people were confirmed dead so far, with more than 4,500 injured and 441 still missing. The toll is expected to rise significantly as rescuers reach towns and villages where communications have been cut off by the quake. At 12:51:02 (0621 GMT) -- the precise time the quake struck on Friday -- sirens wailed to bring the country to a standstill to remember those lost. Mandalay, the country's second-biggest city with 1.7 million inhabitants, suffered some of the worst destruction. Outside the Sky Villa apartment complex, one of the city's worst-hit disaster sites, rescue workers stopped and lined up with hands clasped behind their backs to pay their respects. Officials and attendants stood behind a cordon, watching relatives further back, as the sirens wailed and a Myanmar flag flew at half-mast from a bamboo pole tied to a rescue tent. The moment of remembrance is part of a week of national mourning declared by the ruling junta, with flags to fly at half-mast on official buildings until April 6 "in sympathy for the loss of life and damages". More than 1,000 foreign rescuers have flown in to help and Myanmar state media reported that nearly 650 people have been pulled alive from ruined buildings around the country. Sleeping in the open Hundreds of Mandalay residents have been forced to sleep in the open, with their homes destroyed or fearing aftershocks would cause more damage. "I don't feel safe. There are six or seven-floor buildings beside my house leaning, and they can collapse anytime," Soe Tint, a watchmaker, told AFP after sleeping outside. Some have tents but many -- including babies and children -- have been bedding down on blankets in the middle of roads, staying as far away as possible from damaged buildings. At an examination hall, where part of the building collapsed on hundreds of monks taking an exam, book bags were piled on a table outside, the uncollected belongings of the victims. The smell was "very high", one Indian rescue worker said. The stench of bodies rotting in the heat was unmistakable at several disaster sites around the city. On the outskirts of Mandalay, a crematorium has received hundreds of bodies for disposal, with many more to come as victims are dug out of the rubble. International aid effort Even before Friday's quake, Myanmar's 50 million people were suffering, the country ravaged by four years of civil war sparked when the army ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in 2021. At least 3.5 million people were displaced by the conflict before the quake, many of them at risk of hunger, according to the United Nations. The junta says it is doing its best to respond to the disaster but there have been multiple reports in recent days of the military carrying out air strikes on armed groups opposed to its rule, even as the country reels from the quake's devastation. UN special envoy to Myanmar Julie Bishop called Monday for all parties to cease hostilities and focus on protecting civilians and delivering aid. An alliance of three ethnic minority armed groups that have been fighting against the junta announced a one-month pause in hostilities to support humanitarian efforts in response to the quake. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing issued an exceptionally rare appeal for foreign assistance, breaking with the isolated ruling generals' customary practice of shunning help from abroad in the wake of major disasters. Hundreds of kilometres away, Bangkok authorities said the death toll there had risen to 20, the vast majority killed when a 30-storey skyscraper under construction collapsed. Page 2
Observer
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Myanmar quake death toll set to surpass 3,000
Myanmar held a minute's silence on Tuesday in tribute to victims of a catastrophic earthquake that has killed more than 2,700 people, buckling roads and flattening buildings as far away as Bangkok. Myanmar's military ruler Min Aung Hlaing said the toll from was expected to surpass 3,000, having reached 2,719 as of Tuesday, with 4,521 people injured, and 441 missing. Four days after the shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck, many people in Myanmar are still sleeping outdoors, either unable to return to ruined homes or afraid of further aftershocks. Sirens rang out at 12:51:02 (06:21 GMT) — the precise time the quake struck on Friday — bringing the country to a standstill to remember those lost. Mandalay, the country's second-biggest city with 1.7 million inhabitants, suffered some of the worst destruction. Outside the Sky Villa apartment complex, one of the city's worst-hit disaster sites, rescue workers stopped and lined up with hands clasped behind their backs to pay their respects. Officials and attendants stood behind a cordon, watching relatives further back, as the sirens wailed and a Myanmar flag flew at half-mast from a bamboo pole tied to a rescue tent. The moment of remembrance is part of a week of national mourning declared by the ruling junta, with flags to fly at half-mast on official buildings until April 6 'in sympathy for the loss of life and damages'. At least 20 people died in neighbouring Thailand. The toll is expected to rise significantly as rescuers reach towns and villages where communications have been cut off by the quake. But in one miraculous development, a woman was rescued in the Myanmar capital of Naypyidaw on Tuesday, after being trapped by debris for 91 woman around 63 years old was found alive on Tuesday morning, then 'successfully rescued' and transferred to a hospital, the Myanmar Fire Services Department said in a Facebook post. More than 1,000 foreign rescuers have flown in to help and Myanmar state media reported that nearly 650 people have been pulled alive from ruined buildings around the country. Hundreds of Mandalay residents spent a fourth night sleeping in the open, with their homes destroyed or fearing aftershocks would cause more damage. 'I don't feel safe. There are six or seven-floor buildings beside my house leaning and they can collapse anytime,' Soe Tint, a watchmaker, said after sleeping outside. — AFP Four days after the shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck, many people in Myanmar are still sleeping outdoors, either unable to return to ruined homes or afraid of further aftershocks.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Myanmar quake toll passes 2,700, nation halts to honour victims
Emergency workers in Myanmar rescued a woman on Tuesday who had been trapped for more than 90 hours under the rubble of a building after a devastating earthquake that has killed at least 2,700 people. The woman, around 63 years old, was found alive and transferred to a hospital, the Myanmar Fire Services Department said, a rare moment of hope as the country held a minute's silence to honour the dead. Four days after the shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck, many people in Myanmar are still sleeping outdoors, either unable to return to ruined homes or afraid of further aftershocks. The head of the ruling junta, Min Aung Hlaing, said 2,719 people were confirmed dead so far, with more than 4,500 injured and 441 still missing. The toll is expected to rise significantly as rescuers reach towns and villages where communications have been cut off by the quake. At 12:51:02 (0621 GMT) -- the precise time the quake struck on Friday -- sirens wailed to bring the country to a standstill to remember those lost. Mandalay, the country's second-biggest city with 1.7 million inhabitants, suffered some of the worst destruction. Outside the Sky Villa apartment complex, one of the city's worst-hit disaster sites, rescue workers stopped and lined up with hands clasped behind their backs to pay their respects. Officials and attendants stood behind a cordon, watching relatives further back, as the sirens wailed and a Myanmar flag flew at half-mast from a bamboo pole tied to a rescue tent. The moment of remembrance is part of a week of national mourning declared by the ruling junta, with flags to fly at half-mast on official buildings until April 6 "in sympathy for the loss of life and damages". More than 1,000 foreign rescuers have flown in to help and Myanmar state media reported that nearly 650 people have been pulled alive from ruined buildings around the country. - Sleeping in the open - Hundreds of Mandalay residents have been forced to sleep in the open, with their homes destroyed or fearing aftershocks would cause more damage. "I don't feel safe. There are six or seven-floor buildings beside my house leaning, and they can collapse anytime," Soe Tint, a watchmaker, told AFP after sleeping outside. Some have tents but many -- including babies and children -- have been bedding down on blankets in the middle of roads, staying as far away as possible from damaged buildings. At an examination hall, where part of the building collapsed on hundreds of monks taking an exam, book bags were piled on a table outside, the uncollected belongings of the victims. The smell was "very high", one Indian rescue worker said. The stench of bodies rotting in the heat was unmistakable at several disaster sites around the city. On the outskirts of Mandalay, a crematorium has received hundreds of bodies for disposal, with many more to come as victims are dug out of the rubble. - International aid effort - Even before Friday's quake, Myanmar's 50 million people were suffering, the country ravaged by four years of civil war sparked when the army ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in 2021. At least 3.5 million people were displaced by the conflict before the quake, many of them at risk of hunger, according to the United Nations. The junta says it is doing its best to respond to the disaster but there have been multiple reports in recent days of the military carrying out air strikes on armed groups opposed to its rule, even as the country reels from the quake's devastation. UN special envoy to Myanmar Julie Bishop called Monday for all parties to cease hostilities and focus on protecting civilians and delivering aid. An alliance of three ethnic minority armed groups that have been fighting against the junta announced a one-month pause in hostilities to support humanitarian efforts in response to the quake. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing issued an exceptionally rare appeal for foreign assistance, breaking with the isolated ruling generals' customary practice of shunning help from abroad in the wake of major disasters. Hundreds of kilometres away, Bangkok authorities said the death toll there had risen to 20, the vast majority killed when a 30-storey skyscraper under construction collapsed. burs-pdw/dhw
Khaleej Times
01-04-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
Myanmar quake: Minute's silence observed for more than 2,000 dead
Myanmar held a minute's silence on Tuesday in tribute to victims of a catastrophic earthquake that has killed more than 2,000 people, buckling roads and flattening buildings as far away as Bangkok. Four days after the shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck, many people in Myanmar are still sleeping outdoors, either unable to return to ruined homes or afraid of further aftershocks. Sirens rang out at 12:51:02 (0621 GMT) (10.21am UAE Time — the precise time the quake struck on Friday — bringing the country to a standstill to remember those lost. Mandalay, the country's second-biggest city with 1.7 million inhabitants, suffered some of the worst destruction. Outside the Sky Villa apartment complex, one of the city's worst-hit disaster sites, rescue workers stopped and lined up with hands clasped behind their backs to pay their respects. Officials and attendants stood behind a cordon, watching relatives further back, as the sirens wailed and a Myanmar flag flew at half-mast from a bamboo pole tied to a rescue tent. The moment of remembrance is part of a week of national mourning declared by the ruling junta, with flags to fly at half-mast on official buildings until April 6 "in sympathy for the loss of life and damages". The junta said Monday that more than 2,000 people have been confirmed dead, with more than 3,900 injured and 270 missing. At least 20 people died in neighbouring Thailand. The toll is expected to rise significantly as rescuers reach towns and villages where communications have been cut off by the quake. But in one miraculous development, a woman was rescued in the Myanmar capital of Naypyidaw on Tuesday, after being trapped by debris for 91 hours. The woman around 63 years old was found alive on Tuesday morning, then "successfully rescued" and transferred to a hospital, the Myanmar Fire Services Department said in a Facebook post. More than 1,000 foreign rescuers have flown in to help and Myanmar state media reported that nearly 650 people have been pulled alive from ruined buildings around the country. Sleeping in the open Hundreds of Mandalay residents spent a fourth night sleeping in the open, with their homes destroyed or fearing aftershocks would cause more damage. "I don't feel safe. There are six or seven-floor buildings beside my house leaning, and they can collapse anytime," Soe Tint, a watchmaker, told AFP after sleeping outside. Some have tents but many — including babies and children — have been bedding down on blankets in the middle of roads, staying as far away as possible from damaged buildings. At an examination hall, where part of the building collapsed on hundreds of monks taking an exam, book bags were piled on a table outside, the uncollected belongings of the victims. Fire engines and heavy-lifting vehicles were parked outside and an Indian rescue team worked on the pancaked remains of the building. The smell was "very high", one Indian officer said. The stench of bodies rotting in the heat was unmistakable at several disaster sites around the city. On the outskirts of Mandalay, a crematorium has received hundreds of bodies for disposal, with many more to come as victims are dug out of the rubble. International aid effort Even before Friday's quake, Myanmar's 50 million people were suffering, the country ravaged by four years of civil war sparked when the army ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in 2021. The UN says at least 3.5 million people were displaced by the conflict before the quake, many of them at risk of hunger. The junta says it is doing its best to respond to the disaster but there have been multiple reports in recent days of the military carrying out air strikes on armed groups opposed to its rule, even as the country reels from the quake's devastation. United Nations special envoy to Myanmar Julie Bishop called on Monday for all parties to cease hostilities and focus on protecting civilians and delivering aid. In response to the quake, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing issued an exceptionally rare appeal for foreign assistance, breaking with the isolated ruling generals' customary practice of shunning help from abroad in the wake of major disasters. Hundreds of kilometres (miles) away, Bangkok city authorities said the death toll there had risen to 20, the vast majority killed when a 30-storey skyscraper under construction collapsed. City governor Chadchart Sittipunt told a news conference on Tuesday that recovery efforts at the site of the collapse have entered a "second phase" that involves "lifting all the heavy materials, such as columns". "We have hope there are survivors," he said. "We will keep going".
Al Jazeera
01-04-2025
- General
- Al Jazeera
Myanmar holds minute of silence as death toll from earthquake tops 2,700
Authorities in Myanmar have held a minute of silence to honour the victims of a catastrophic earthquake that killed more than 2,700 people, including 50 children at one preschool near the city of Mandalay. The moment of remembrance on Tuesday came as aid groups said communities in the hardest-hit areas were struggling to find food, water and shelter. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake, which hit around lunchtime on Friday, was the strongest to hit the Southeast Asian country in more than a century, toppling ancient pagodas and modern buildings alike. Myanmar's military leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, in a televised address on Tuesday, said the death toll had reached 2,719 and could even exceed 3,000. He said 4,521 people were injured, and 441 were missing. At least 20 people were also killed in neighbouring Thailand. In hard-hit Mandalay in central Myanmar, sirens rang out at 12:51pm (06:21 GMT), the precise time that the quake struck, calling residents to a standstill. Outside the Sky Villa apartment complex, one of the city's worst-hit disaster sites, rescue workers stopped and lined up with hands clasped behind their backs to pay their respects. Officials and attendants stood behind a cordon, watching relatives further back, as the sirens wailed and a Myanmar flag flew at half-mast from a bamboo pole tied to a rescue tent. Residents of the city said they spent a fourth night sleeping in the open, with their homes destroyed or fearing aftershocks would cause more damage. 'I don't feel safe. There are six or seven-floor buildings beside my house leaning, and they can collapse anytime,' Soe Tint, a watchmaker, told the AFP news agency. Some of the survivors have tents, but many – including babies and children – have been bedding down on blankets in the middle of roads, staying as far away as possible from damaged buildings. In the capital, Naypyidaw, the Myanmar Fire Services Department said rescuers saved a 63-year-old woman from the rubble of a building on Tuesday, 91 hours after the quake hit. But authorities said it was unlikely that they would find any more survivors. The civil war in Myanmar, where the military seized power in a coup in 2021, has also complicated efforts to reach those injured and made homeless by the powerful tremor. Al Jazeera's Jessica Washington, reporting from Bangkok in Thailand, said many families in central Myanmar were struggling to meet basic needs. 'They do not have connectivity, they don't have electricity. People are struggling. They are still sleeping outside. At one hospital in the city, people are being treated outdoors, in the extreme heat. Access to water also remains challenging,' she said. There have also been multiple reports of attacks by the military on armed groups opposed to its rule despite the devastation, Washington noted, adding that some in Myanmar are questioning exactly how willing the military is to help in the search for survivors. 'In the city closest to the epicentre, Sagaing, access has been extremely limited. We know that there is a Malaysian crew on the ground that has been assisting with efforts at a school that collapsed,' she said. 'But other crews on the ground say they have essentially been stopped by troops and militias aligned with the junta, stopping them from accessing those areas that are in critical need.' Meanwhile, Amnesty International said the military needed to allow aid to reach areas of the country not under its control. 'Myanmar's military has a longstanding practice of denying aid to areas where groups who resist it are active,' Amnesty's Myanmar researcher Joe Freeman said. 'It must immediately allow unimpeded access to all humanitarian organisations and remove administrative barriers delaying needs assessments.' The United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA) said the victims of the earthquake included 50 children and two teachers, who were killed when their preschool collapsed near Mandalay. The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar also reported that some 500 Muslims were killed in the country as the quake struck when worshippers were gathered in mosques to offer Friday prayers. In Bangkok, rescuers were still scouring the ruins of an unfinished skyscraper that collapsed for any signs of life, but aware that as four days had passed since the earthquake, the odds of finding survivors had lengthened. 'There are about 70 bodies underneath … and we hope by some miracle one or two are still alive,' volunteer rescue leader Bin Bunluerit said at the building site. Bangkok Deputy Governor Tavida Kamolvej said six human-shaped figures had been detected by scanners, but there was no movement or vital signs. Local and international experts were now working out how to safely reach them, she said.
