The death toll from a huge earthquake that hit Myanmar and Thailand passed 1,000 on Saturday, as rescuers dug through the rubble of collapsed buildings in a desperate search for survivors.
According to local reports, the shallow 7.7-magnitude quake struck northwest of the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar in the early afternoon, followed minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock.
9News Nigeria reports that the quake destroyed buildings, downed bridges, and buckled roads across swathes of Myanmar, with massive destruction seen in Mandalay, the country’s second biggest city and home to more than 1.7 million people.
“We need aid,” said Thar Aye, 68, a resident of Mandalay. “We don’t have enough of anything.”
At least 1,007 people were killed and nearly 2,400 injured in Myanmar, with 30 more missing, the junta said in a statement. Around 10 more deaths have been confirmed in Bangkok.
9News Nigeria learnt that with communications badly disrupted, the true scale of the disaster is only starting to emerge from the isolated military-ruled state, and the toll is expected to rise significantly.
More than 90 people could be trapped in the crushed remains of one apartment block in Mandalay, a Red Cross official told AFP on Saturday.
Rescuers worked to free victims at the Sky Villa Condominium development, where several of the building’s 12 storeys were pancaked on top of each other.
