Rescue crews are looking for survivors in what is left of Sky Villa Condominium, a twelve -storey building that collapsed from yesterday’s powerful earthquake.
The strongest earthquake that hit Myanmar for decades has already claimed the lives of at least 1,000 people in this destroyed country by the Civil War, and has also caused victims in neighboring Thailand as well as extensive damage to the entire area.
AFP accounts for the aid of the international community so far:
-China today sent a team of 82 rescuers to Myanmar, announced the Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management.
Another group, from Yunnan province, also arrived in Yangon, the Myanmar Economic Center today, said Chinese state television CCTV.
The Chinese government will also provide the country’s emergency humanitarian aid of 100 million yuan (12.7m euros), the Chinese international aid has announced today.
-US President Donald Trump pledged Friday that the United States will help Myanmar after the earthquake.
“This is a real disaster and we will help,” Trump told reporters from the Oval Office.
-Hong Kong announced that it today sent a group of 51 people, carrying 9 tonnes of equipment, including life detection devices and two rescue dogs.
-India sent a military plane carrying humanitarian aid to Myanmar, its foreign minister said today.
“A search and rescue team and a medical team also accompany this flight,” he said.
“We will continue to monitor the situation as it is evolving,” he added, promising further help.
-The South Korean Foreign Ministry has announced that it will send humanitarian aid of $ 2 million “to support efforts to relocate and rescue”.
Seoul said he could send additional assistance if the situation worsens.
-The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that it has activated the emergency response system and mobilized its Dubai Center to prepare supplies for the injured.
The WHO coordinates his response to the earthquake from his headquarters in Geneva because “we consider him a huge event,” spokesman Margaret Harris told reporters yesterday.
-The Iranian Foreign Ministry today sent the condolences of Tehran to the peoples and governments of Myanmar and Thailand and expressed its readiness to contribute to the humanitarian effort.
“Foreign Ministry spokesman Emael Backai (…) announced that our country is ready to participate in relief and rescue operations,” according to a statement.
-The Malaysian Foreign Ministry also announced the mission of a assistance team to Myanmar, consisting of a commander and 49 rescuers “to support the ongoing humanitarian businesses and assistance businesses”.
Foreign Minister Mohammed Hassan said the ASEAN block, which is members of Myanmar and Thailand, “is ready to help” the two countries.
-Indonesia’s president, Prambovo Subiado, expressed his condolences to Myanmar and Thailand.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of both countries in this difficult time,” the Indonesian leader wrote on X on Friday night.
“Indonesia is ready to provide all the necessary support for reconstruction efforts in the affected areas,” he assured.
People trapped in the ruins
Meanwhile, more than 90 people are believed to be trapped in the ruins of a building in Mandalei, the second city of Myanmar, hit by yesterday’s strong earthquake, a Red Cross official told the French Agency.
Rescue crews are looking for survivors in what is left of Sky Villa Condominium, a twelve -storey building collapsing from the 7.7 -magnitude earthquake.
“Nine people were killed and 44 were recovered alive,” said the official, who asked to maintain his anonymity.
“More than 90 people could be inside. We still collect data and residents continue to inform us that they are looking for missing family members,” he added.
The Burmese junta has already announced the deaths of more than 1,000 people across the country, but the earthquake has destroyed communications systems, making it difficult to estimate the size of the disaster.
Mandalei, where more than 1.7 million people live, is just a few kilometers from the focus of the worst earthquake that has hit Myanmar for decades.
The earthquake caused the collapse of six of the twelve floors of this particular building.
By RES-EIA / MAR.MI