The death toll from a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Southeast Asia on Friday skyrocketed on Saturday, with reports of 1,600 dead in Myanmar and predictive modeling indicating the true toll could be 10,000.
The earthquake hit around lunchtime on Friday, destroying buildings and bridges. Hundreds of search and rescue personnel from other countries arrived in Myanmar on Saturday to continue the exhausting search for survivors and victims.
Htet Min Oo, 25, told Reuters that he was dragged out from under a collapsed wall in Mandalay by other residents and attempted to search the rubble for his grandmother and uncles before giving up.
“I don’t know if they are still alive under the debris,” he sobbed. “After so long, I don’t think there’s any hope.”
A high-rise building collapsed in Bangkok, Thailand, about 600 miles from the quake’s epicenter, trapping construction workers. On Saturday, crews searched the debris with excavators, drones, and dogs. At least 47 people are missing in the rubble, including workers from Myanmar.
“We always have hope,” Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, told reporters. “We’re still working around the clock.”
The situation in Myanmar was dire on Saturday, according to a report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The earthquake’s devastation has left hospitals overcrowded with injured patients, damaged facilities, and a lack of medical supplies.
The OCHA reported that communication towers, as well as water and electricity utilities, had been damaged. Phone and internet connections are unstable.
“Thousands of people are spending the nights on the streets or open spaces due to the damage and destruction to home or fearing further quakes,” according to the investigation.
Death toll soars as search continues
According to Agence France-Presse, Myanmar’s military government confirmed that 1,644 people have died as a result of the earthquake as of Saturday. In Thailand, at least nine people were killed.
According to the US Geological Survey’s predictive modeling, the death toll could be at least 10,000.
According to the USGS, a large portion of the population lives in structures that are susceptible to shaking caused by earthquakes. It also predicts that the earthquake will cause more damage than the annual economic output.
“High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,” according to USGS estimates.
The death toll has risen from an initial count of around 150 on Friday, as Myanmar’s military government leaders warned it would rise.
Aid, rescue teams pour into Myanmar
Hundreds of people entered Myanmar on Saturday to assist with search and rescue efforts, while humanitarian organizations reported that destroyed roads were impeding their ability to deliver aid to certain areas of the country.
“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 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement Saturday.
Russia, Malaysia, India, China, and Singapore have all pledged aid and personnel to Myanmar in the aftermath of the earthquake. Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $13.77 million in aid, including tents, blankets, and emergency medical kits.
President Donald Trump also stated on Friday that the United States would assist Myanmar in its recovery, despite strained relations between the two countries, including recent cuts to US foreign aid and sanctions on Myanmar officials.
“We’re going to help,” Trump said Friday. “We’ve already spoken with the country.”
