Terrible earthquake claims more than 1000 lives: experts fear even worse
By Johannes Neudecker
Mandalay - The number of officially confirmed fatalities following the earthquake in Myanmar has risen to more than 1000. The military leadership of the Southeast Asian country also announced on state television that the number of injured was more than 2370.
On Friday, the earth shook violently in South East Asia and caused severe destruction. The German Georesearch Institute (GFZ) in Potsdam and the US Earthquake Observatory (USGS) now put the magnitude at 7.7.
A few minutes later, both institutes also registered another earthquake a little to the south with a magnitude of 6.4.
The epicenter of the stronger quake was near Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar with 1.6 million inhabitants. The quake was also felt in Thailand, China and Vietnam.
The Red Cross in Myanmar spoke of devastating damage.
There is great concern that dams on the Irrawaddy River could break.
Worrying estimate
But the situation in Myanmar remains unclear. Since a military coup in February 2021, the former Burma has already been mired in violence and chaos, with various rebel groups fighting, sometimes successfully, against the army. Little information is leaking out of the country. The military junta reports confirmed deaths. Officially, a further 30 people are missing. More detailed lists are still being compiled, it was said.
According to an estimate by the US earthquake observatory USGS, the number of victims could be in the thousands. The institute fears that more than 10,000 people may have died in Myanmar and the other affected regions.
The European Commission announced on Friday evening that it was activating the Copernicus satellite service in order to better assess the consequences of the earthquake.
Injuries and damage to buildings were also reported from the Chinese province of Yunnan.
Help from one of the few allies
According to state media, the People's Republic , one of Myanmar's few allies, sent a small disaster control team with special equipment across the border to Myanmar. The Chinese foreign office also promised further assistance. State and party leader Xi Jinping expressed his condolences to military junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.
Three deaths have been officially confirmed in Thailand so far. According to media reports, however, up to ten bodies have now been recovered. In addition, 101 people are missing in the metropolis of Bangkok alone.
The Thai weather authority also recorded further earth tremors one day after the severe earthquake. However, most of the 77 earth tremors measured, which mainly occurred in the area bordering Myanmar to the north, were significantly weaker and sometimes barely felt, according to reports.
In Bangkok, a high-rise building under construction collapsed on Friday. The search for missing people in the rubble is continuing, as can be seen in photos.
Meanwhile, everyday life returned to the Thai capital. Some subway lines resumed operation in public transportation. Others were still being checked for damage.