BANGKOK (AP) – A unilateral partial ceasefire to promote earthquake relief efforts was announced on Saturday by Myanmar’s shadow national unification government. The country’s death toll from the disaster rose to 1,644.
The figures have skyrocketed compared to 1,002 released just hours ago, highlighting the difficulty of seeing casualties over widespread areas and the possibility that numbers will continue to increase since Friday’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake. The number of injuries rose to 3,408, but the missing figure increased to 139.
The number of deaths is rising in Thailand too
In neighboring Thailand, the death toll rose to 17. The earthquake shook the Greater Bangkok area, where around 17 million people and other parts of the country lived. Many locations in the north reported damage, but only victims were reported in Bangkok.
Of the death toll, 10 were killed in the High Rising Building near the famous Chatuchak Market, where the collapsed, while the rest were killed at seven other sites. Bangkok authorities said 83 people were not recorded.
More heavy equipment was brought in on Saturday to run a large number of tiled rubbers, but hope was waning among friends and relatives.
“I prayed they survived, but when I got here and saw the abandoned in, where are they?
Myanmar’s assistance efforts are hindered by damage to the airport
In Myanmar, so far, rescue operations have focused on major attacked cities in Mandalay, the country’s second largest city, and Nepaitau, the capital.
But teams and equipment are flying around from other countries, and are hampered by damage to the airport. Satellite photos of Planet Labs PBC, analyzed by the Associated Press, show the earthquake fell as if it had collapsed the air traffic control tower at Naypyitaw International Airport.
It was not immediately clear whether there had been any casualties from the collapse.
Myanmar’s civil war is also a hindrance
Another major complication is the civil war that hits many of the country, including areas affected by the earthquake. In 2001, the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, causing what has since turned into a significant armed resistance.
Government forces have lost control of most of Myanmar, and many locations are extremely dangerous or are impossible for aid groups to reach. According to the United Nations, more than 3 million people have been evacuated to the battle, and nearly 20 million people are in trouble.
The interaction between politics and disaster was demonstrated on Saturday night. Myanmar’s Shadow National Unification Government has announced a unilateral partial ceasefire to promote earthquake relief efforts.
The defense forces of its armed wings of people have implemented a two-week suspension in offensive military operations from Sunday to Sunday in areas affected by the earthquake, and will work with the United Nations and international non-governmental organizations to “ensure security, transportation and temporary rescue and the establishment of medical camps.”
The resistance organization said it reserved the right to fight back in defense if attacked.
Major city losses
The earthquake struck at noon on Friday at the epicenter not too far from Mandalay, followed by several aftershocks, including a 6.4. It caused many local buildings to fall to the ground, bent down the roads and collapsed bridges.
At Naypyitaw, crews worked on Saturday to repair damaged roads, but power, telephones and internet services remained in most of the city. The earthquake has knocked down many buildings, including multiple units that house government officials, but that area of the city was blocked by authorities on Saturday.
The first report on earthquake relief efforts issued Saturday to coordinate the UN humanitarian issue says it will allocate $5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for “lifesaving support.”
Planned measures for the time being include a convoy of 17 cargo trucks carrying medical supplies from China, which are scheduled to arrive on Sunday.
Focusing on the serious damage or destruction of many medical facilities, he warned that “serious shortages of medical supplies are hampering response efforts such as trauma kits, blood bags, anesthesia, auxiliary devices, essential medicines, and tents for healthcare workers.”
Allies bringing rescue teams and rescue materials
Myanmar friends and neighbors have already brought rescue personnel and rescue materials. China and Russia were the largest suppliers of Myanmar’s military weapons and the first to receive humanitarian assistance.
In a country where previous governments were slow to accept foreign aid, General Min Ang Fröning, head of military government, said Myanmar is ready to accept external support.
China said it had sent over 135 rescue workers and experts with supplies such as medical kits and generators, pledged to approximately $13.8 million in emergency aid. Russia’s emergency ministry said it had flew 120 rescuers and supplies, while the country’s health ministry said Moscow had sent medical teams to Myanmar.
Other countries such as India, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore are also sending support. US President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington will help respond.
The ceasefire plan announced by the opposition National Unified Government proposed that, if security guarantees are provided, be provided to medical professionals loyal to the resistance movement to work with international humanitarian organisations to provide emergency rescue and medical services in areas under military control.
The military has significantly restricted much needed assistance efforts to the large population already evacuated by war, even before the earthquake. Resistance sympathizers are asking that relief efforts cannot be weaponized by the military, as they incorporate aid transported freely into areas under the control of resistance.
There were no immediate comments on the military announcement.
The army continued its attack even after the trembling. The three-person airstrike, also known as Shan in the northern and southern Kareni states, and the border border territory of Mandalay, said Dave Eubank, a former US Army Special Forces soldier who founded the private aid organization, Free Burma Rangers.
Eubank told the AP that the earthquake had little effect as most villages in the area where he is active has already been destroyed by the military.
“People are in the jungle. When the earthquake hit, I was out in the jungle. It was powerful, but the trees just moved, so that was it for us.
Earthquakes are rare in Bangkok, but are relatively common in Myanmar. The country is located at the Sagar fault, the major north-south fault separating the Indian and Sunda plates.
Brian Baptie, a seismologist at British geological surveys, said Quake caused severe ground shaking in the area where he lives in a building built of wood and unenhanced brick masonry.
“If there is a big earthquake in an area with over one million people, the outcome can often be disastrous in areas where many of them live in vulnerable buildings,” he said in a statement.
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David Rising and Jerry Harmer of Bangkok, Simina Mistane of Taipei, Donghyun Kim of Seoul, South Korea, and John Gambrel of Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed to the report.
