The devastating earthquake in Myanmar has claimed more than 1,600 lives, with residents in affected areas resorting to digging through rubble with their bare hands to rescue loved ones, the BBC reports.
A lack of equipment, damaged communication networks, and impassable roads and bridges have severely hindered search and rescue efforts.
The earthquake struck Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, flattening much of it. Applause broke out when rescuers freed a woman from a collapsed 12-story apartment building after 30 hours, but the Red Cross warns over 90 people may still be trapped.
In a nearby township, rescuers found the bodies of 12 preschool children and a teacher beneath a kindergarten building.
Road damage between Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, and Mandalay has caused severe disruptions, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Medical supplies, including trauma kits, blood bags, anesthetics, essential medicines, and tents, are in short supply, OCHA reports.
Footage shared online shows two men clearing rubble to rescue a trapped young woman, while survivors’ cries for help echo from beneath the debris. Rescuers say they can only help when they hear survivors.
Earlier on Saturday, a rescue team in Mandalay’s Kyaukse district pulled out several people from a collapsed school. Six were already dead—five women and one man—when found. Victims included students, teachers, and staff.
Limited rescue equipment is slowing down efforts, with rescuers struggling to reach those trapped.
Poor communication and power outages worsen the situation. Mandalay Airport is out of service due to damaged runways.
Residents report chaos and lack of coordination in rescue efforts, with overwhelmed hospitals unable to manage the casualties.
The junta reports over 1,500 damaged buildings in Mandalay, and Sagaing’s bridges are severely damaged, blocking rescue access.
Despite a rare appeal for international aid, the military junta continues air and drone strikes on ethnic armies and rebel groups.
A recent airstrike in Naungcho, northern Shan state, killed seven people, while pro-democracy groups report bombings in Sagaing and near the Thai border.
Tom Andrews, the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, called on the junta to cease military operations amid the disaster.
“The problem is ongoing military strikes by the junta. This is completely outrageous and unacceptable,” Andrews told the BBC.
