The News
More than 2,000 people have died in Myanmar following a major 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Friday, the ruling junta said Monday, while hundreds are still missing.
The earthquake was also felt in Thailand, with Bangkok declaring a state of emergency on Friday. In Thailand, 19 people have died, with many still missing, including 75 construction workers, after an unfinished skyscraper collapsed.
International aid and rescue efforts in Myanmar have been difficult, as the country has been wracked by civil war since 2021, with reports of Mandalay residents attempting to rescue loved ones under rubble with their bare hands.
In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, the ruling military junta continued to bomb parts of the country, leading the UN to call the strikes “completely outrageous and unacceptable.”
The US Geological Service estimated Myanmar’s death toll could exceed 10,000.