Tragic Myanmar earthquake death toll hits 1,700 amid rescue challenges, civil unrest

Rescue teams abandoned hope of finding survivors Monday as the death toll from Friday’s catastrophic 7.7-magnitude earthquake climbed past 1,700 across Myanmar and Thailand.

The quake devastated central Myanmar’s Mandalay region, home to 1.7 million residents, while collapsing a Bangkok high-rise and leaving thousands displaced.

In Mandalay, emergency crews struggled through buckled roads and debris-choked streets as aftershocks rattled nerves.

Families sheltered in makeshift camps for a third night, clutching children under tarps while avoiding unstable buildings.

The military junta confirmed over 1,700 deaths nationwide and declared a week of mourning, though 300 remain missing.

Meanwhile, Thailand mourned 18 fatalities, including 11 crushed in a collapsed Bangkok tower.

Hospitals overflowed as temperatures soared to 40°C (104°F). Mandalay’s main hospital evacuated patients to its parking lot, where medics treated injuries under flimsy tarps.

“We’re doing everything possible,” said an exhausted doctor, fanning a patient with bandaged limbs.

The heat accelerated body decomposition, complicating identification efforts as relatives searched morgues.

Myanmar’s military leaders made a rare plea for international aid despite ongoing civil war.

The World Health Organization mobilized $8 million for urgent medical supplies, while the Red Cross sought $100 million for recovery.

However, damaged bridges and active airstrikes hampered relief.

Ethnic rebels reported seven fighters killed in post-quake bombings, underscoring the crisis’ complexity.

Amid the chaos, resilience flickered.

Vendors reopened stalls in Mandalay’s less-damaged districts, and Muslims gathered near a shattered mosque for Eid prayers.

“We’ll rebuild,” said a shopkeeper sweeping glass, though fear lingered as aftershocks sent crowds fleeing.

In Bangkok, rain soaked rescue crews digging through a collapsed high-rise where 76 remain missing.

“We’re still hopeful,” said a firefighter, though survival odds dwindled hourly.

The disaster exposed Myanmar’s fragility after years of civil war, with 3.5 million already displaced and infrastructure in ruins.

As recovery begins, survivors face monumental challenges: contaminated water, scarce medicine, and monsoon rains threatening camps.

“This quake broke us, but not our spirit,” said a Mandalay teacher cooking communal meals.

Yet with communications down and roads impassable, remote villages remain cut off, their losses still uncounted.

Both nations now confront a long, arduous path to healing landscapes and lives shattered in seconds.

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