The death toll from the magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Southeast Asia has reached 1,644, the Military Government announced on 29 March. There are also fears that the death toll will continue to rise in the country, where civil war continues, and in neighbouring Thailand.
Thai authorities said at least 10 dead have been identified.
The number of injured has risen to 3,408 and the number of missing has risen to 139.
Rescuers in Myanmar on 29 March continued to search for survivors among the rubble of destroyed buildings. The country’s military leadership authorised the entry of hundreds of foreign rescue workers to assist in the response.
The country’s junta government declared a state of emergency in six regions, and its isolated leader General Min Aung Hline said earlier on state television that he had invited “any country” to provide aid and donations.
The earthquake struck as Myanmar’s military government is fighting insurgents against the junta – a situation that could hamper rescue and relief operations.
Earlier, a spokesman for the Opposition National Unity Government said militia fighters, known as the People’s Defence Force, would provide humanitarian aid.
The epicentre of the magnitude 7.7 quake was near the city of Mandalay, in central Myanmar. The main tremor was followed by a strong 6.4 magnitude aftershock.
Earthquakes are quite frequent in Myanmar, as the country is located in a seismically active region. The northern and central regions are particularly earthquake-prone, where both moderate and strong earthquakes are periodically recorded.