Minute of silence in Myanmar for over 2,000 earthquake deaths; a survivor rescued in Naypyidaw

Myanmar observed a minute of silence on Tuesday for the earthquake victims that killed more than 2,000 people in a country plagued by civil war, while a woman in her sixties was rescued in the capital Naypyidaw after spending 91 hours under the debris.

In the country, sirens sounded at 12:51:02 p.m. local time (06:21 GMT), the precise time when the magnitude 7.7 tremor occurred on Friday, marking the beginning of the commemoration, reported AFP journalists. The national television channel interrupted its programs to broadcast images of flags at half-mast at various locations, set to somber music. The national mourning period extends until April 6, as announced by the junta on Monday.

In front of what remains of a Mandalay apartment complex, one of the most damaged sites in the city, rescuers lined up with their hands behind their backs in remembrance of the victims. Experts anticipate thousands more deaths beyond the junta’s tally of over 2,000, as the Sagaing fault, source of the earthquake, cuts through some of the country’s most populated areas, including cities like Naypyidaw and Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city.

The civil war, which has crippled vital infrastructure and fractured a country with dozens of ethnic minority armed groups and political opposition, also complicates information gathering.

More than 1,000 foreign rescuers have arrived in Myanmar as part of an international effort to support local services that are under-equipped for such a crisis. Rescue operations have succeeded in saving around 650 people from the debris, according to a junta media outlet.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday the death of two of its citizens, and three Chinese nationals were also killed in the quake, reported the Xinhua News Agency. About 500 Muslims also died in mosques during Friday prayers, said the Global New Light of Myanmar, the journal affiliated with the generals.

Nearby, in the epicenter’s vicinity, the city of Mandalay, home to more than 1.7 million inhabitants, suffered the worst destruction, with many residential buildings reduced to ruins.

“Very strong” smell of decay

In a pagoda damaged by the partial collapse of a building housing dozens of monks taking an exam, an Indian rescuer reports a “very strong” smell of decomposing bodies under the debris.

A woman in her sixties miraculously was rescued on Tuesday in Naypyidaw after being trapped for 91 hours in the rubble, reported the fire department. On the outskirts of Mandalay, a crematorium received hundreds of bodies, with many more expected as victims are extracted from the debris.

The civil conflict, ongoing since the February 1, 2021, coup against Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, has decimated the healthcare system. The situation was already alarming before the quake, with fighting having displaced more than 3.5 million vulnerable people, according to the United Nations. The junta has claimed to be doing its utmost, but recent reports indicate new airstrikes against enemies.

“Hope” for survivors in Bangkok

United Nations Special Envoy for Myanmar, Julie Bishop, on Monday called all parties to cease hostilities and prioritize aid operations for civilians.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing appealed to the international community for help on Friday, a rare move for a high-ranking Burmese official, highlighting the disaster’s magnitude.

The World Health Organization (WHO) classified the earthquake as the highest level emergency on Sunday, while the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched an appeal to raise more than $100 million. China, Russia, and India have dispatched teams, while the United States announced the deployment of “humanitarian experts” on Monday.

Temperatures are expected to reach around 40 degrees Celsius in Mandalay on Tuesday.

Nearly 1,000 kilometers from the epicenter, in Bangkok, rescue teams continue to search for survivors in the rubble of the collapsed 30-story building under construction. Approximately 20 people died in the Thai capital as of Tuesday, but dozens more remain missing.

City Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said during a Tuesday press conference that the search had entered a “second phase” involving the “lifting of all heavy materials, such as columns.” “We are hopeful there are survivors,” and “we will continue to work,” he said.