The 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled much of Southeast Asia on Friday.
A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled much of Southeast Asia on Friday, resulting in mounting casualties and flattened skyscrapers from Myanmar to Thailand.
The epicenter was in Mandalay, Myanmar, the country’s second-largest city. Even Bangkok, some 600 miles away, felt widespread shaking and saw significant damage from the quake — including the total collapse of a skyscraper under construction.
Death toll crosses 2,000
Casualties are expected to rise as search and rescue efforts are underway in collapsed buildings in Myanmar and Thailand, officials said.
In Myanmar, the death toll has climbed to 2,056, with more than 3,900 people injured and 270 people reported missing, according to the Myanmar Military Junta.
In Bangkok, at least 13 people were killed in a building collapse in Chatuchak, according to the Bangkok Metro Authority.
Myanmar death toll climbs to 2,056
In Myanmar, the death toll has climbed to 2,056, with more than 3,900 people injured and 270 people reported missing, according to the Myanmar Military Junta.
Myanmar State TV announced that seven days of national mourning begin on Monday.
The United Nations Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop called for “all sides” in Myanmar to “allow for humanitarian relief and ensure that aid workers can operate in safety,” in a statement to U.N. reporters issued Monday.
“Continuing military operations in disaster-affected areas risks further loss of life and undermines the shared imperative to respond,” the statement added.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Ellie KaufmanShow More
2 more bodies recovered from collapsed building
Two more bodies were recovered from the collapsed building site in Bangkok as the search for survivors continues, according to the Bangkok Metro Authority.
The death toll at the building collapse rose to 13 on Monday, the metro authority said.
The critical 72-hour window for finding survivors in the collapsed building has passed, according to Bangkok Deputy Gov. Tavida Kamolevj
Myanmar faces worst devastation in Asia in 100 years, IFRC says
Myanmar is experiencing “a level of devastation that hasn’t been seen over a century in Asia,” the acting head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said following Friday’s earthquake.
“This is a level of the earthquake that we’re going to see not just today, tomorrow, but for the next weeks,” Marie Manrique told CNN on Sunday.
The IFRC launched an emergency appeal calling for “global solidarity” as it mobilized its teams to help in the rescue efforts in Myanmar.
The IFRC statement reported significant damage to critical infrastructure across the country, noting that “airports in Mandalay and Naypyidaw remain closed due to safety concerns and telecommunications outages are hampering coordination in several regions.”
Addressing the many issues facing humanitarian efforts, the organization’s regional director for Asia Pacific, Alexander Matheou said, “This is not just a disaster; it is a complex humanitarian crisis layered over existing vulnerabilities.”
“Myanmar continues to face internal displacement and food insecurity,” Matheou said. “This earthquake exacerbates an already fragile situation. The global community must step forward to support a bold and sustained response.
5.1 magnitude aftershock strikes Myanmar
A 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck about 17 miles north of Mandalay, Myanmar, on Sunday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake near the second-largest city in Myanmar came amid a series of aftershocks following a powerful 7.7 magnitude that struck the country with an epicenter near Mandalay on Friday afternoon.
