Myanmar-Thailand earthquake latest: Rescue workers battle to find survivors as deaths climb to over 1,600

Major General Zaw Min Tun, a spokesperson for the military junta highlighted a critical shortage of blood in hospitals across regions affected by the recent earthquake.

The spokesperson noted that facilities in Mandalay, Sagaing, and Naypyidaw are particularly in need of blood supplies.

He urged blood donors to contact hospitals as soon as possible.

The call comes as medical teams continue to treat victims and manage the aftermath of the disaster.

China has announced 100m yuan ($13.77m) in aid for Myanmar following the devastating earthquake that has claimed over 1,000 lives, its embassy said on Saturday.

The assistance package includes tents, blankets, emergency medical kits, food, and water, with the first shipment set to arrive on 31 March, according to a statement on the Chinese embassy’s Facebook page.

At least 1,644 have been killed, 2,376 people have been injured and 30 are missing in Myanmar, the country’s ruling military junta said amid warnings that the toll is expected to rise.

In Thailand, Bangkok authorities reduced the death toll to six. 26 people have been injured and 47 others are missing at sites including at a high-rise building which collapsed, authorities said.

The quake struck at a depth of 10km, about 17.2km from Myanmar’s second-largest city of Mandalay, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The King, who cancelled a planned visit to Birmingham on Friday to focus on his recuperation, issued a message of sympathy on Saturday.

Charles said: “My wife and I were most dreadfully shocked and saddened to learn of the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, with its tragic loss of life and appalling damage to homes, buildings and livelihoods, not to mention the destruction of sacred pagodas, monasteries and other places of worship.”

Read the King’s full comments here:

In the aftermath of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that devastated Mandalay, Myanmar, on Friday, survivors desperately dug through rubble with their bare hands, searching for those still trapped.

With no heavy machinery and authorities absent from the scene, residents and volunteer rescue workers struggled to reach victims buried under the wreckage.

Htet Min Oo, 25, narrowly survived when a brick wall collapsed on him, trapping half of his body.

His grandmother and two uncles remained buried, and despite his efforts, he was unable to free them.

“There’s too much rubble, and no rescue teams have come for us,” he told Reuters, breaking into tears.

One rescue worker was attempting to free 140 trapped monks from a collapsed building in Amarapura, Mandalay.

“We do not have enough manpower or machines to remove the debris, but we will not stop working,” the worker who was not named said.

Some residents were appealing for machinery on Facebook.

One wrote that members of their family had been crushed under the rubble of a mosque and “we desperately want to recover their bodies”.

Myanmar’s military junta has continued air strikes in areas of the war-torn country amid ongoing rescue efforts following Friday’s catastrophic earthquake.

UN special rapporteur Tom Andrews said the attacks were “completely outrageous and unacceptable”.

Speaking to the BBC, he described it as “incredible” for the junta to continue dropping bombs “when you are trying to rescue people”.

“Anyone who has influence on the military needs to step up the pressure and make it very clear that this is not acceptable,” he said.

“I’m calling upon the junta to just stop, stop any of its military operations,” he added.

It comes after the National Unity Government (NUG), representing Myanmar’s administration outed in a 2021 military coup, said its armed forces would pause “offensive military operations” for two weeks from Sunday. It would still carry out “defensive actions”, the resistance group said.

President Trump pledged US support for Southeast Asia following a devastating earthquake, but his administration’s previous foreign aid cuts could hinder the response.

While offering assistance on Friday, the impact of reduced funding to USAID and the State Department remains a significant concern.

Sarah Charles, a former senior USAID official during the Biden administration, expressed deep concern about the current state of disaster preparedness. She described the system as “in shambles,” lacking the necessary personnel and resources for effective and timely disaster relief, such as rescuing survivors from collapsed structures.