Myanmar Earthquake: Death toll raises to over 1,000 as rescue efforts continues

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake has struck Myanmar, leaving more than 1,000 people dead and thousands injured.

The tremors were also felt in neighboring countries, causing widespread destruction.

The epicenter was near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, where the majority of fatalities have been reported. Rescue teams are working tirelessly to retrieve survivors from collapsed buildings, often using bare hands to dig through the rubble.

A rescue worker from Mandalay told the BBC, “We are digging out people with our bare hands,” highlighting the dire conditions of the relief operations.

In Thailand, the quake led to the collapse of an unfinished high-rise in Bangkok, killing at least six people and leaving around 100 construction workers unaccounted for, according to local officials. Rescue efforts are underway to locate the missing.

Despite international sanctions on Myanmar’s ruling junta, the government has made a rare appeal for international assistance to cope with the devastation. However, ongoing military control and civil unrest have made it difficult to assess the full scale of the disaster.

Rescue operations continue across Myanmar and Thailand, with emergency teams racing against time to reach those still trapped under debris.