Myanmar's military junta reports that more than 3,400 people in the country have been injured.
The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7, and the epicenter was located near the million-city of Mandalay. Even the capital Naypyidaw was severely affected.
The shadow government in Myanmar, which is opposed to the ruling military junta, announces a unilateral partial ceasefire to focus on handling relief efforts. The pause will apply for two weeks and for offensive military operations from Sunday in areas affected by the earthquake.
An intense rescue operation is underway on Saturday among destroyed buildings, bridges, and roads. Mandalay's airport is reported to be damaged and is closed. Electricity and internet are down in large parts of the affected areas, which further complicates the work.
A day after the quake, more and more eyewitness accounts are emerging, showing the extent of the devastation.
Searching in the rubble
In a preschool, twelve children have been found dead along with their teacher. But more are said to be trapped in the rubble and the search continues.
In a twelve-story apartment building in Mandalay, both dead and survivors have been carried out of the rubble.
More than 90 people may still be trapped inside. We are still gathering information from people searching for their family members, says an employee of the Red Cross.
Aid workers and volunteers are fighting against time and with poor equipment.
We are still trying to pull out people who are trapped, but we need heavy machinery to move the rubble. They are still crying out and we can hear their voices, but we don't know where they are, says a rescue worker to BBC.
Appeal for help
An indication of the serious situation is that the military junta in the closed country has sent an extremely rare appeal for international help.
Several countries in the region have now sent aid or signaled that they will support with money or rescue teams, including China, India, South Korea, Malaysia, and Russia.
In neighboring Thailand, around ten people have been confirmed dead. Up to 100 people are missing since a 30-story high skyscraper collapsed in Bangkok. It was not yet completed and those affected are mainly construction workers.
We are doing our best with the resources we have, since every single life counts, said Bangkok's governor Chadchart Sittipunt.
