More than 1,000 people have been killed in Myanmar and thousands more injured after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake the day before that was also felt in neighbouring countries.
The death toll, at 1,002, was confirmed by Myanmar’s Army.
“Infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and buildings were affected, leading to casualties and injuries among civilians. Search and rescue operations are currently being carried out in the affected areas,” Myanmar’s military said in the statement.
Most of the fatalities are in Mandalay, the country’s second largest city, and the region closest to the earthquake’s epicentre.
In the Thai capital Bangkok – located 1,000km from the epicentre in Myanmar – about 10 more deaths have been confirmed.
The shallow 7.7-magnitude quake struck northwest of the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar in the early afternoon on Friday, followed minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock.
“We are still trying to pull out the rest of the trapped people, but we need large machines. They are still shouting, and we can still hear their voices, but we can’t know where they are,” a rescue worker tell BBC as rescue workers are attempting to reach seven people trapped under a high-rise building in Mandalay.
“If we can get the support of those big machines, we can remove the damage and then pull out the trapped people,” they added.
The Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) says it will support relief operations in Myanmar and Thailand.
The 10-member body, which includes Myanmar and Thailand, says it recognises the urgent need for humanitarian assistance after the earthquake “resulted in significant loss of life, injuries, and widespread destruction.”
It says it will “work closely to coordinate humanitarian assistance, support and facilitate relief operations, and ensure timely and effective humanitarian response.”
The other members of Asean are Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines.
