Myanmar Quake Death Toll Hits 3,145 as Crisis Deepens

The death toll from a 7.7 magnitude earthquake near Mandalay on March 28 rose to 3,145 by Thursday, Myanmar’s military government reported, as rescue teams uncovered more bodies. Information Minister Maung Maung Ohn said 4,589 were injured and 221 remain missing, per MRTV. The quake flattened buildings, roads, and bridges, while local media suggest higher casualties than official counts, with communication disruptions delaying full tallies. The UN estimates over 17 million people across 57 townships were affected, with 9 million severely impacted.

Humanitarian efforts intensified as the World Health Organization reported four hospitals and one health center destroyed, plus 32 hospitals and 18 health centers damaged, crippling healthcare access. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, announcing aid officials’ arrival on Friday, urged global funding and access to victims, noting the looming monsoon threat. Over 1,550 international rescuers, aided by 17 countries, joined locals, with mobile hospitals from India and Russia-Belarus operating in Mandalay, where tents shelter the displaced amid 40 C (104 F) heat.

Myanmar’s junta, in power since 2021, declared a ceasefire through April 22 amid a civil war that displaced 3 million and left 20 million in need pre-quake. Resistance groups echoed the truce, though local reports of military attacks in Kachin state persist, unconfirmed. In Bangkok, a collapsed skyscraper killed 22 and injured 35, with rescue efforts ending Thursday without survivors despite faint signs of life detected earlier.