- YANGON — A total
of 1,644 people died and 3,408 were injured, and 139 remained missing due to
the powerful earthquake in Myanmar, said the Information Team of the State
Administration Council on Saturday.
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- A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake, followed by a 6.4
magnitude aftershock minutes later, struck Myanmar's Mandalay region on Friday,
causing massive casualties and damage in multiple countries.
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- The epicentre was only about 20 km from Mandalay, the
country's second-largest city with a population of 1.5 million. In response,
the National Disaster Management Committee declared a state of emergency across
the Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Magway Region, the northeastern part of
Shan State, the capital of Nay Pyi Taw and Bago Region.
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- Rescue operations are underway, while international relief
efforts are being swiftly mobilised to address the dire needs of the affected
population.
Also read: Myanmar earthquake: Death toll jumps to over 1,000 as more bodies recovered from rubble
- Public hospitals in Sagaing, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw
urgently called for blood donations as they treated a surge of injured
patients, while rescue operations continued amid reports of more people trapped
under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
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- Official reports said the earthquake caused a power supply
system failure and disrupted mobile networks, leaving parts of Yangon, the
country's largest city, without signal.
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- Several key roads linking Mandalay and Yangon in the south
were damaged or blocked, while airports in Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw were
temporarily shut down, with all flights canceled.
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- Photos and videos posted on social media showed significant
structural damage to buildings, temples and several historical sites in the
Mandalay region, including the Mandalay Palace and the Mahamuni Pagoda.
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- The earthquake is the strongest by magnitude so far this
year, according to the United States Geological Survey. Tremors were felt in
Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and southwest China, Xinhua news agency reported.
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- In Thailand, 10 people were killed and 42 others injured,
with 78 others remaining missing in the capital of Bangkok, authorities said
Saturday.
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