Death Toll from Earthquake in Myanmar Surpasses 3,000, Rain Forecast Poses New Threat to Rescue Efforts

Author: M.J. GDNUS

The death toll from the devastating earthquake in Myanmar has surpassed 3,000, with hundreds still missing, while forecasts of unseasonal rainfall pose a new challenge for rescuers and humanitarian workers.

The 7.7 magnitude earthquake, which struck Myanmar six days ago, is one of the strongest to hit the country in this century. It shook a region of 28 million people, collapsing buildings, leveling communities, and leaving many without food, water, and shelter, according to Reuters.

As of Wednesday, the death toll rose to 3,003, with 4,515 injured and 351 missing, according to Myanmar's embassy in Japan on Facebook.

Conditions may worsen as unseasonal rains are forecast from Sunday through April 11, potentially affecting the areas hardest hit by the quake, such as Mandalay, Sagaing, and the capital Naypyidaw.

“The rain is coming, and there are still so many trapped,” said a humanitarian worker in Myanmar, speaking to Reuters.

“In Mandalay, especially, if the rain starts, people who are buried under rubble may drown even if they’ve survived this long,” the worker added.

So far, 53 airlifted aid deliveries have reached Myanmar, according to the embassy in Japan, while more than 1,900 rescuers have arrived from 15 countries, including neighboring China, India, and Russia.

Nearly a week after the earthquake, rescuers in neighboring Thailand have combed through the rubble of a collapsed skyscraper in Bangkok, which was under construction.

Rescue teams are using machines and bulldozers to break through 100 tons of concrete to locate any survivors after the skyscraper collapsed, killing 15 people, with 72 still missing.

In total, 22 people have died in Thailand.