Myanmar-Thailand earthquake death toll passes 1,600

The death toll from a huge earthquake that hit Myanmar and Thailand has surpassed 1,600, Myanmar’s military government has said on state television, as rescuers dig through the rubble of collapsed buildings in a desperate search for survivors.

The statement from the military government confirmed 1,644 dead and more than 3,400 injured, with at least 139 people still missing after the magnitude 7.7 earthquake.Mandalay was hit heavily; it is Myanmar’s second-largest city and close to the epicentre of the quake.

“It was a pretty uncomfortable night for lots of people. They chose to sleep outside. We saw them in parks putting mattresses outside their homes,” Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng reported from the capital, Naypyidaw.

“There were still aftershocks, several we felt this morning. They were not significantly large ones, but enough to make people feel uncomfortable returning into built-up structures,” he added.

Humanitarian operations in Myanmar have been badly hindered by damaged roads and infrastructure, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Saturday.The earthquake severely damaged critical infrastructure, including major bridges and roads, making it difficult for humanitarian operations to access areas in need, OCHA said.

“Damage to the Yangon-Nay Pyi Taw-Mandalay expressway led to service disruptions, with cracks and surface distortions forcing highway buses to halt operations”, the UN agency said in a statement.

“Infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and buildings were affected, leading to casualties and injuries among civilians. Search and rescue operations are currently being carried out in the affected areas,” Myanmar’s military also noted.

To facilitate earthquake relief efforts, the country’s shadow National Unity Government, which coordinates the popular struggle against the ruling military, announced a two-week unilateral partial ceasefire starting Sunday in earthquake-affected areas.