Myanmar Earthquake: More than 400 individuals rescued from debris in Mandalay
More than 400 survivors from a strong earthquake that hit Myanmar last Friday have been rescued from debris in the Mandalay region.
TroibNews 
Over 400 survivors have been rescued from the debris following a powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar last Friday in the Mandalay region.
Mandalay, the country's second-largest city with a population exceeding 1.7 million, experienced significant destruction, with numerous residential structures collapsing into heaps of rubble.
Both local and international rescue teams have been tirelessly searching through the ruins, despite the critical 72-hour period for finding survivors having elapsed. As of Monday, local authorities reported that 403 individuals had been saved and 259 bodies recovered in Mandalay.
The 7.9 magnitude earthquake has resulted in 2,719 fatalities, with 4,521 injuries and 441 individuals still unaccounted for nationwide, according to official statistics released on Tuesday. Additionally, at least 19 people in neighboring Thailand lost their lives due to the earthquake.
The death toll is anticipated to increase as rescuers access towns and villages where communications have been disrupted by the quake.
For many, the risks remain high. Hundreds of residents have spent the fourth night outdoors, either due to the destruction of their homes or fears that aftershocks might cause further damage.
Concerns over aftershocks have also prompted Mandalay's general hospital, which has a capacity of 1,000 beds, to relocate patients to the parking lot, where they are lying on gurneys under a makeshift tarpaulin to protect them from the intense tropical sun.
"Having lived through the terror of the earthquake, people now fear aftershocks and are sleeping outside on roads or in open fields," an International Rescue Committee worker in Mandalay told Reuters.
"However, in towns and cities, safe spaces are scarce. There is an urgent need for tents, as even those whose homes remain intact are too afraid to sleep indoors."
The IRC reported that people also urgently required medical assistance, drinking water, and food.
In response to the tragedy, the Myanmar government has requested that the public observe a moment of silence at 12:51:02 on Tuesday, exactly four days after the quake, and urged media outlets to pause broadcasting and display mourning symbols. Prayers are set to be offered at temples and pagodas, following the declaration of a week-long mourning period.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this article for TROIB News
Mandalay, the country's second-largest city with a population exceeding 1.7 million, experienced significant destruction, with numerous residential structures collapsing into heaps of rubble.
Both local and international rescue teams have been tirelessly searching through the ruins, despite the critical 72-hour period for finding survivors having elapsed. As of Monday, local authorities reported that 403 individuals had been saved and 259 bodies recovered in Mandalay.
The 7.9 magnitude earthquake has resulted in 2,719 fatalities, with 4,521 injuries and 441 individuals still unaccounted for nationwide, according to official statistics released on Tuesday. Additionally, at least 19 people in neighboring Thailand lost their lives due to the earthquake.
The death toll is anticipated to increase as rescuers access towns and villages where communications have been disrupted by the quake.
For many, the risks remain high. Hundreds of residents have spent the fourth night outdoors, either due to the destruction of their homes or fears that aftershocks might cause further damage.
Concerns over aftershocks have also prompted Mandalay's general hospital, which has a capacity of 1,000 beds, to relocate patients to the parking lot, where they are lying on gurneys under a makeshift tarpaulin to protect them from the intense tropical sun.
"Having lived through the terror of the earthquake, people now fear aftershocks and are sleeping outside on roads or in open fields," an International Rescue Committee worker in Mandalay told Reuters.
"However, in towns and cities, safe spaces are scarce. There is an urgent need for tents, as even those whose homes remain intact are too afraid to sleep indoors."
The IRC reported that people also urgently required medical assistance, drinking water, and food.
In response to the tragedy, the Myanmar government has requested that the public observe a moment of silence at 12:51:02 on Tuesday, exactly four days after the quake, and urged media outlets to pause broadcasting and display mourning symbols. Prayers are set to be offered at temples and pagodas, following the declaration of a week-long mourning period.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this article for TROIB News
