Myanmar Earthquake: Devastating Jolt Claims Over 2,000 Lives

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake has devastated Myanmar and affected neighboring regions, including Thailand and Bangkok. Myanmar’s state media reported on Monday that the death toll from last week’s massive quake has surpassed 2,000. The collapse of a monastery claimed the lives of 200 Buddhist monks. Homes, high-rises, and industrial structures crumbled like a deck of cards as the disaster struck Myanmar.

Deadly Earthquake Strikes Myanmar, Killing Hundreds and Worsening Humanitarian Crisis

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The collapse of a preschool classroom killed fifty children. The quake struck seven hundred Muslims while they were praying at mosques for Ramadan. Aid groups and the United Nations warned that the disaster could worsen hunger and disease outbreaks in Myanmar, a country already considered one of the most challenging places for humanitarian organizations due to ongoing civil war.

The 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit on Friday, with its epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. The quake damaged the city’s airport, buckled roads, and caused hundreds of buildings to collapse across a wide stretch of the country’s center.

Power outages, fuel shortages, and spotty communications have further hampered relief efforts. The lack of heavy machinery has slowed search-and-rescue operations, forcing many people to search for survivors by hand in scorching temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

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Rescue workers at Mandalay’s collapsed U Hla Thein monastery are still searching for about 150 dead monks. Tun Kyi, a member of the steering committee of the Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Network, reported that the collapse of mosques during Friday prayers killed around 700 Muslim worshipers. Videos posted on The Irrawaddy online news site showed several mosques collapsing.

The United Nations’ Myanmar country team has called for unrestricted access for aid teams. “Before this earthquake, nearly 20 million people in Myanmar already needed humanitarian assistance,” said Marcoluigi Corsi, the U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator.