A desperate race against time is underway in Myanmar as rescuers battle to find survivors following a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that has claimed more than 1,600 lives and left thousands injured.
With entire communities in ruins, the UN has raised the alarm over a critical shortage of medical supplies, deepening the crisis for those clinging to life under the rubble.
The quake struck on Friday, shaking Myanmar and its neighboring countries, sending tremors as far as Thailand. In Bangkok, where a high-rise building under construction collapsed, a 12th body was pulled from the wreckage late Saturday. But amid the despair, a glimmer of hope emerged when a woman in Mandalay was rescued alive after enduring 30 hours trapped beneath debris.
Aid groups fear that help is struggling to reach the worst-hit areas, where an estimated 20 million people live. Damaged roads and severed communication lines have left many regions virtually inaccessible. The ongoing civil war, now in its fourth year, has only compounded the challenges, making coordination of relief efforts increasingly difficult.
“People are in urgent need of medical care, food, and clean water, but we are facing immense logistical hurdles,” said a spokesperson from an international aid organization. “Many hospitals are overwhelmed, and supplies are running dangerously low.”
As hope fades for those still buried, families continue to dig through the rubble with their bare hands, searching for missing loved ones. The scale of destruction has left many questioning how long it will take for Myanmar to recover from one of the worst disasters in its recent history.
