BANGKOK – Myanmar is reeling from one of its deadliest natural disasters in recent history, as the death toll from a powerful earthquake has soared past 1,600. Rescue workers are in a race against time to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings and debris.
Officials report a sharp rise in casualties from an earlier count of 1,002, with expectations that the number could climb further as more bodies are recovered. The quake has left entire towns in ruins, severing communication lines and cutting off access to critical areas, making relief efforts increasingly challenging.
“The destruction is overwhelming,” said a rescue worker on the ground. “We are doing everything we can, but the scale of devastation is immense.”
The region continues to be shaken by aftershocks, adding to the uncertainty and hampering rescue missions. Thousands have been left homeless, and emergency shelters are struggling to accommodate the growing number of displaced families. Calls for urgent medical aid, food, and supplies are growing louder as the humanitarian crisis deepens.
In Bangkok, aid organizations and regional agencies are coordinating efforts to provide support, though challenges remain in delivering assistance to the hardest-hit areas. Political instability in Myanmar has further complicated international relief efforts.
As night falls, grief-stricken families continue their desperate search for missing loved ones, clinging to hope that more survivors will emerge from the devastation.
