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Emergency rescue teams began hit the hardest hit by a massive earthquake that killed more than 1,600 people in the vicinity of Myanmar on Sunday, their efforts impeded by roads, bridges, mocking communication and the challenges of working in a country in the middle of a civil war.
The 7.7 earthquake hit an epicenter on Friday on Friday near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, which laid down numerous buildings and damaged other infrastructure such as the city’s airport.
Many of the 1.5 million people of Mandalay spent the night on the street, or left homeless by the earthquake, who also shook the neighboring Thailand and killed at least 17 people there, or were worried that the ongoing aftercocks could cause structures that crashed unstable.
Many areas have not yet been reached
So far, 1,644 people in Myanmar and 3,408 have been reported missing, but many areas have not yet been achieved, and so far many rescue efforts have been undertaken by people who have worked by hand to try junk, says Cara Bragg, the manager of the Catholic Helping Services in Yangon, in Myanmar.
“It was mainly local volunteers, local people just trying to find their loved ones,” Bragg said after being informed by her colleague in Mandalay.
“I have also seen reports that some countries are now sending search and rescue teams to Mandalay to support efforts, but hospitals are really struggling to cope with the influx of injured people, there is a shortage of medical supplies, and people are struggling to find food and clean water,” Bragg added.
The organization sent a team by road on Sunday to judge the most urgent needs of people so that it can target its own response.
With damaged Mandalay Airport and overthrowing the control tower in the capital of Naypitaw’s airport, all commercial flights were closed to the cities.
Foreign help starts to arrive in Myanmar
Still, two Indian C-17 military transport aircraft were able to late Saturday in Naypitaw with a field hospital unit and about 120 staff members who had to travel north to Mandalay at the time to establish a 60-bed emergency treatment center, according to the country’s Foreign Ministry. Other Indian supplies were flown in Yangon, the largest city of Myanmar, which was the center of other foreign relief efforts.
Sunday is expected to reach a convoy of 17 Chinese cargo trucks with critical shelter and medical supplies Mandalay after making the difficult journey by road from Yangon.
The 650 -kilometer (400 -mile) journey lasts 14 hours or longer, with clogged roads and traffic derived from the highway to hull damage from the earthquake.
At the same time, the opportunity to find someone alive is fast. Most rescue occurs within the first 24 hours after a disaster, and then the chances of survival descend as every day.
An initial report on earthquake aid efforts issued on Saturday by the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian matters noted the serious damage or destruction of many health facilities, and warned that a ‘serious shortage of medical supplies is an obstacle, including trauma sets, blood bags, anesthesia, anesthesia, necessities, necessities of help. ‘
China said it sent more than 135 rescue staff and experts with supplies such as medical kits and generators and promised about $ 13.8 million in first aid. Russia’s Ministry of Emergency said it flew to Yangon in 120 rescue workers and supplies, and the country’s health ministry said Moscow sent a medical team to Myanmar.
17 people reported dead in Thailand
In neighboring Thailand, the earthquake shook a large part of the province, which brought down a high building under construction in Bangkok, about 1,300 kilometers from the epicenter.
So far, ten people have been found dead at the construction site near the popular Chatuchak market, where 83 people were not restored out of the ruin on Sunday morning. A total of 17 people have so far been killed by the Thailand earthquake.
In Myanmar, also known as Burma, rescue efforts have so far been focused on Mandalay and Naypyitaw, which is believed to have been hit hardest, but many other areas have also been affected and little is known about the damage there so far.
“We hear reports of hundreds of people trapped in different areas,” Bragg said. ‘At the moment we are at 1.600 (well -known deaths) and we do not have a lot of data that comes out, but you have to assume that it will increase thousands based on what the consequences are. This is just anecdotal information at this point. ‘
Rescue efforts in Myanmar complicate by the Civil War
In addition to the earthquake damage, rescue efforts are hampered by the bloody civil war that emerge much of the country, also in areas affected by the earthquake. In 2001, the military grabbed the power of the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, which arose that has since turned into significant armed resistance.
Government forces have lost control of many of Myanmar, and many places are dangerous or impossible for help groups to reach. According to the United Nations, more than 3 million people have been displaced by the fighting and nearly 20 million are in need.
The government militating is fighting long-established militia and the newly formed pro-democracy defense forces, and has very limited the much-needed aid efforts to the large population already displaced by war, even before the earthquake.
On Saturday, Myanmar’s opposition Shadow National Unity Government, on which the PDF militia is loyal, announced a unilateral partial ceasefire to facilitate the relief of earthquake.
The military did not immediately comment on the announcement and it continued air strikes even after the earthquake.
The Three Brotherhood Alliance, a group of three of Myanmar’s most powerful and well -armed militia who launched a joint offensive in October 2023, which broke a strategic stop with the military regime, did not mention a ceasefire in a statement on Saturday, but said it was ready to help.
“We will immediately provide assistance to those affected by the earthquake to the best of our ability, with a spirit of humanity, unity and fraternity,” the group said.
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Jintamas Saksornchai contributed to this story.
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