Myanmar rescue teams are still searching for survivors after a deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit the nation five days ago. In a dramatic twist, a 26-year-old hotel employee, Naing Lin Tun, was rescued alive from the rubble of a collapsed structure in Naypyitaw on early Wednesday. The rescue, carried out by a combined Turkish and national team, lasted more than nine hours.

Rescue workers utilized an endoscopic camera to find Naing Lin Tun buried in the rubble before slowly pulling him out through a hole in the ground. Dust-covered and visibly frail, he seemed to be conscious as paramedics gave him an IV drip before taking him to the hospital. His survival after 108 hours has offered a glimmer of hope amid the rising death toll.

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State broadcaster MRTV reports the quake has killed a minimum of 2,886 and injured 4,639, although independent accounts indicate figures may be even higher.

Widespread Devastation and Regional Impact

The devastating earthquake, which hit midday on Friday, has left thousands of houses destroyed, bridges fallen, and roads blocked. The devastation added to the prevailing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, in which more than 3 million people were displaced as a result of internal strife.

The earthquake also caused an impact in neighboring Thailand, in which a Bangkok under-construction high-rise building collapsed. There were 22 people confirmed dead by Bangkok authorities, with 34 others wounded in the construction site.

Ongoing Civil War in Myanmar and Reports of Attacks on Aid Convoys

Myanmar’s political unrest has also made relief efforts more difficult. The Three Brotherhood Alliance, a dominant coalition of militias that has taken vast amounts of land from the military, announced a unilateral one-month ceasefire to support humanitarian operations. Nevertheless, fighting continues in some pockets.

A recent occurrence was the reported attack on a Chinese Red Cross convoy with relief for Mandalay. Myanmar’s military was blamed for firing on a convoy of nine Red Cross trucks late Tuesday near Ohn Ma Tee village in Shan State by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, which is a militia group under the Brotherhood Alliance. The military junta accused the security forces of opening fire only in the form of warning shots when an unidentified convoy failed to stop.

Chinese Foreign Ministry official Guo Jiakun told us that aid shipments had landed safely in Myanmar but said nothing about the purported attack. This ongoing violence demonstrates the difficulties the humanitarian groups, trying to send relief to battered communities, now face.

Aid Response International to Myanmar

International relief is starting to reach Myanmar as nations commit money.

  • Australia: Promised an additional $4.5 million worth of aid in addition to its previous $1.25 million commitment.
  • India: Sent two Navy vessels with supplies and deployed 200 rescue personnel.
  • China: Sent 270 rescue workers.
  • Russia: Sent 212 rescue personnel.
  • UAE: Donated 122 personnel.
  • United States: USAID deployed a three-person assessment team and committed $2 million in emergency aid.

However, logistical difficulties and a deficiency of infrastructure in certain areas are hindering the provision of aid to outlying regions. Numerous communities lack electricity, cellular networks, or roads, complicating the process of estimating the extent of destruction.

The Extent of Damage Beyond Major Cities

Accounts from areas beyond urban centers report heavy casualties and damage.

In Singu township, about 65 km (40 miles) north of Mandalay, 27 gold miners were killed in a cave-in, according to the independent Democratic Voice of Burma.
In Inle Lake, northeast of the capital, many residents died when their stilt homes collapsed into the water, as reported by the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar.