Myanmar, Thailand Earthquake: Death toll exceeds 1600, 3400 injured, 139 missing

 

 

Bangkok: The death toll from a major earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand has exceeded 1600, according to international media reports. The Myanmar government said in a statement that at least 1,644 people were killed, more than 3,400 were injured, and 139 people were missing.

With communications systems down, rescue operations are underway, including in isolated areas, and the true extent of the disaster is only just emerging, the report said, and the death toll is likely to rise further. Most of the deaths were in Myanmar. International media reported that rescue operations in Myanmar are slow. The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck at 12:50 pm on Friday. Minutes later, a magnitude 6.7 aftershock and a series of smaller tremors followed.
The quake was felt in western India, eastern China, Cambodia and Laos. The ongoing civil war in Myanmar has also been blamed for weakening emergency services. Ten people were killed in the quake in neighboring Thailand. Reports emerged that a multi-storey building under construction near Bangkok's Chatuchak Market collapsed, trapping about 100 workers in the rubble. Several countries, including India and the United States, have come forward to provide aid to Myanmar.