Last Friday, Myanmar was shaken by a powerful earthquake. Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, is located near the epicenter and the capital Naypyitaw is also severely affected.
So far, around 1,600 people have been confirmed dead and more than 3,400 injured.
However, the extent of the devastation is still unclear, according to Cara Bragg, head of a Catholic aid organization based in Yangon. Many areas of the country have not been accessible and rescue efforts have had to be carried out by hand, without technical equipment.
We are receiving reports of hundreds of people trapped in different areas, she says.
Poor and War-Torn
Bragg reports that hospitals are struggling to cope with the influx of injured people. There is a shortage of medical supplies and people are having difficulty accessing food and water.
The airports in Mandalay and Naypyitaw have been damaged, making it difficult for international aid efforts to reach the country. Destroyed roads and unreliable – and sometimes non-existent – electricity and internet networks are also hindering efforts. Despite this, the first aid shipments from India and China have now arrived.
Even before the earthquake, it was difficult to access the closed-off country, ruled by a military junta and completely impoverished after a low-intensity civil war. Some areas have been impossible for aid organizations to reach.
The shadow government in Myanmar, which is opposed to the ruling military junta, has announced a unilateral partial ceasefire to focus on handling aid efforts. However, the military junta has not responded and has continued its airstrikes despite the earthquake.
Aftershocks
On Sunday, another aftershock occurred in Mandalay, causing people to scream and take cover. The aftershock had a magnitude of 5.1, according to the USGS. Friday's earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7.
In neighboring Thailand's capital Bangkok, the death toll has risen to 17, following Friday's earthquake. Another 100 people are injured or missing, most of them after a 30-story high skyscraper collapsed. It was not yet completed and those affected are mainly construction workers.
