At least 144 dead in Myanmar quake, casualties set to rise

At least 144 people have died and 732 people injured so far following the earthquake that struck central Myanmar yesterday afternoon, affecting neighbouring countries.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing said 96 were killed in the capital Naypyitaw, 18 in Sagaing, and 30 in Mandalay, in addition to over 400 injuries reported in Naypyitaw and 300 in Sagaing.

The figures are expected to rise as the numbers are still being assessed elsewhere.

The junta leader also made a rare request for international humanitarian aid.

The 7.7-magnitude earthquake’s epicentre was near Sagaing town and it heavily struck Mandalay city, causing many buildings, including hotels, condos, university buildings and hospitals, to collapse.

It caused significant damage in Magwe, Bago and Naypyitaw regions and Shan state, where multiple buildings, roads, and bridges are reported to have collapsed.

The Shwe Bhone Shan mosque in Mandalay city and Kan Taw mosque in Taungoo town, Bago Region, both collapsed during Friday prayers, killing at least 34 people.

Six children were confirmed dead as rescue efforts continued at a Buddhist monastery in Taungoo, where displaced people were sheltering, according to rescue teams.

Several military headquarters and parliamentary buildings allegedly collapsed in Naypyitaw.

Former army captain Zin Yaw told The Irrawaddy that heavy damage had been reported at military headquarters in the capital.

A junta source told The Irrawaddy that numerous military injuries had been reported, including his brother-in-law.

He said the air traffic control tower at Naypyitaw International Airport had collapsed, killing the entire ATC team.

AFP quoted a doctor saying about 20 people were killed at a major Naypyitaw hospital.

People are missing at the collapsed Hotel Aungban in Aungban town adjacent to the tourist destination of Kalaw town in southern Shan, according to residents.

The US Geological Survey issued a red alert before the earthquake, which caused the collapse of a high-rise building being constructed in the Thai capital, Bangkok, where numerous construction workers are missing.

The agency estimated that the death toll could reach 10,000.

Myanmar’s junta has made a rare request for international humanitarian aid and declared a state of emergency across six regions.

This article first appeared on The Irrawaddy on March 28 and is reproduced here with permission and an update on the death toll.

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