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Key Updates: Myanmar and Thailand Earthquake Aftermath
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The ruling junta in Myanmar has reported a significant rise in fatalities from Friday’s powerful earthquake, now standing at 2,056. According to a spokesperson, an additional 270 individuals are still unaccounted for, and 3,900 have sustained injuries.
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At the U Hla Thein monastery in Mandalay, where 270 monks were undergoing religious examinations when the earthquake struck, rescue teams conveyed on Monday that 70 monks managed to escape. Tragically, 50 bodies have been recovered, while 150 remain missing.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that devastation from the earthquake has overwhelmed healthcare infrastructure, with reports confirming three hospitals destroyed and 22 suffering partial damage in the affected region. The WHO previously launched an urgent appeal for $8 million to provide critical emergency assistance.
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The United Nations representative in Myanmar expressed solidarity, stating, “Our hearts are with all those impacted by this tragedy.” The representative highlighted the pre-existing humanitarian crisis, noting that “even prior to this earthquake, approximately 20 million people across Myanmar required humanitarian aid.”
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Communication lines to numerous impacted regions remain strained, compounded by the ongoing civil conflict that has severely affected these areas, leaving significant portions of the nation beyond the control of the ruling junta.
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Predictive models from the US Geological Survey suggest a grim outlook, estimating that the earthquake’s final death toll in Myanmar could surpass 10,000, with economic losses potentially exceeding the nation’s annual economic productivity.
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A Taiwanese rescue team has been prepared and willing to offer aid to Myanmar, but has not received a formal request for assistance. Speculation suggests that Myanmar’s military government, which maintains close ties with China, may have denied them entry.
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In Thailand, the confirmed death toll stands at 19, with more than 70 individuals still missing. Bangkok’s deputy governor, Tavida Kamolvej, has conveyed the diminishing likelihood of recovering additional survivors from the collapsed building in Bangkok due to Friday’s seismic event.
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Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has convened a meeting with relevant government departments to address criticisms regarding the SMS alert system’s response time and reach when the earthquake occurred on Friday.
Key events
Myanmar Earthquake Death Toll Surges Past 2,000
The official count of lives lost in Myanmar due to Friday’s devastating earthquake has climbed to 2,056, as announced by the nation’s ruling junta. This major earthquake, impacting both Myanmar and Thailand, has resulted in a humanitarian crisis.
According to AFP reports, a junta spokesperson stated that 270 individuals remain missing and 3,900 have been wounded in the aftermath of the seismic disaster in Myanmar. The earthquake’s impact is being felt across the region.
In neighboring Thailand, fatalities are confirmed at 19, with over 70 individuals still unaccounted for following the earthquake that rocked both nations.
Bangkok‘s deputy governor, Tavida Kamolvej, has suggested the diminishing prospects of finding additional survivors within the wreckage of the building that collapsed in Bangkok during Friday’s earthquake.
She noted that five hours have passed since rescue personnel last detected any signs of life amidst the debris, indicating a bleak outlook for further rescues.
The UN representative in Myanmar has conveyed condolences, stating, “Our hearts are extended to everyone affected by this tragedy.”
Marcoluigi Corsi further stated:
The UN and its partners are swiftly mobilizing resources to bolster emergency response operations and remain prepared to assist all affected communities, regardless of location.
Even before this earthquake struck, nearly 20 million individuals in Myanmar were in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. This recent catastrophe exacerbates an already critical situation and threatens to further weaken the resilience of communities already struggling with conflict, displacement, and previous disasters.
A wider perspective of the ongoing search and rescue efforts in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district reveals the scale of operations at the site of a 30-story building under construction that crumbled during Friday’s earthquake. This earthquake in Thailand caused significant structural damage.
Helen Davidson and Jason Tzu Kuan Lu reporting from Taipei
While numerous international rescue teams have mobilized to assist in Myanmar, a highly experienced team from Taiwan, renowned for its earthquake response capabilities both domestically and internationally, notably including responses to the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake, was excluded. The Myanmar earthquake response highlights complexities in international aid.
A contingent of 120 Taiwanese personnel, comprising rescue specialists, medical professionals, and engineers, along with search dogs and 15 tonnes of vital equipment, was prepared for deployment by Saturday. Despite their readiness, they remained on standby for two days awaiting deployment confirmation, which never materialized. A national fire agency spokesperson indicated uncertainty regarding the absence of deployment orders for the earthquake response Myanmar authorities were coordinating.
Liu Shi-Fang, Minister of the Interior, the overseeing authority, informed parliament on Monday that while the government conveyed Taiwan’s readiness to offer assistance for the Myanmar earthquake, the decision was ultimately made due to concerns over guaranteeing the team’s safety amidst ongoing unrest in Myanmar.
“Consequently, we have stood down our team and resumed normal operations,” Liu stated, emphasizing the priority of personnel safety in the Myanmar earthquake relief efforts.
Nevertheless, speculation persists suggesting that Myanmar’s military government, known for its close diplomatic alignment with China, might have denied entry to the Taiwanese team. Beijing frequently leverages its influence to impede Taiwan’s engagement in international forums. Both China and Hong Kong have deployed rescue teams to Myanmar, where reports indicate a critical need for increased assistance in the wake of the Myanmar earthquake.
Taiwanese leadership, including the president, premier, and foreign ministry, have publicly affirmed Taiwan’s willingness to assist in recent days. However, the foreign ministry reported receiving no response from either Thailand or Myanmar concerning aid offers after the devastating earthquake Myanmar experienced.
AFP, citing local news outlets, reports that Thailand‘s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, convened a meeting with government departments responsible for public SMS alerts, in response to criticism regarding the alert system’s performance when Friday’s earthquake struck Thailand and Myanmar.
On Saturday, Paetongtarn acknowledged, “Our challenge lies in the message delivery being too slow and not reaching a sufficient number of individuals affected by the Thailand earthquake.”
A separate investigation is underway to determine the reasons behind the collapse of a skyscraper under construction in Bangkok, attributed to the seismic effects of the quake. AFP indicates that samples of steel rods retrieved from the debris were collected for testing on Monday afternoon regarding the earthquake in Thailand and its structural impacts.
Reuters reports the recovery of another body from the site of the collapsed high-rise building in Bangkok, citing information from the volunteer rescue group Fire and Rescue Thailand. This tragic find raises Thailand’s confirmed earthquake death toll to 19. At least 70 individuals remain unaccounted for in Thailand following the earthquake. The current death toll in Myanmar is reported at 1,700.
Reuters, referencing Chinese news source Xinhua, indicates that four individuals have been successfully rescued from beneath collapsed structures in Mandalay, the city in Myanmar closest to the epicenter of Friday’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake. These Myanmar earthquake survivors bring hope amidst devastation.
Yue Xin, the commanding officer of a Chinese search and rescue unit deployed to assist in Myanmar, stated, “The duration of our efforts is secondary. Our primary objective is to bring hope to the affected local population” in the aftermath of the Myanmar earthquake.
The BBC reported conversations with a resident from the Pyigyitagon area of Mandalay, who described a pervasive sense of “despair and helplessness” amongst the community impacted by the Myanmar earthquake.
Ruate, who provided only his first name to protect his privacy, explained, “We have been too afraid to sleep in our homes since the earthquake struck on Friday. The power is out, and essential supplies are dwindling. Yesterday, we witnessed the grim scene of bodies being recovered from ruined buildings in our neighborhood. It’s deeply disheartening. We are overwhelmed with hopelessness and helplessness,” painting a somber picture of life after the Myanmar earthquake.
WHO Reports Healthcare Overwhelmed in Myanmar Earthquake Zone
The World Health Organization (WHO) has received reports confirming the destruction of three hospitals and partial damage to 22 others within the region affected by Friday’s earthquake in Myanmar. The earthquake in Myanmar has severely strained healthcare capabilities.
“The full magnitude of fatalities and injuries remains unclear, and we anticipate these figures will rise,” the UN agency stated, according to Associated Press. This statement underscores the escalating crisis following the Myanmar earthquake.
The WHO’s statement further elaborated on the dire situation:
The earthquake’s extensive devastation has crippled healthcare facilities in the impacted zones, which are struggling to cope with the surge of injured individuals. There is an immediate and critical demand for trauma and surgical interventions, blood transfusion provisions, anesthesia, essential medications, and mental health support to address the widespread impact of the Myanmar earthquake.
To address these urgent needs, the WHO has urgently appealed for $8 million (£6.1m / €7.4m) in flash funding to support emergency relief efforts for the Myanmar earthquake victims.