According to AFP, many people had to spend the third night sleeping outdoors after the terrible earthquake on March 28 that killed at least 1,700 people in Myanmar and Thailand.
Rescue forces in Mandalay City with more than 1.7 million people face many difficulties as the daily temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius. The suffocating heat not only exhausted the rescue team but also accelerated the process of decomposing the bodies, making identification complicated.
A despair scene took place on the evening of March 30, at a collapsed apartment complex in Mandalay. The rescue team discovered a pregnant woman trapped under the rubble for more than 55 hours. To save her, they were forced to amputate one leg. But when she was taken out, she did not survive because she lost too much blood.
"We did everything we could to save her," a medical worker shared painfully.
On the morning of March 31, believers gathered near a destroyed Hoi giao giao tho to perform the Eid al-Fitr prayers - the festival that ends the month of Ramadan. Meanwhile, hundreds of funerals were also held during the day.
The 7.7 term richter earthquake on March 28 sent a terrible blow to the area, with a strong 6.7 term richter impact immediately afterwards. The earthquakes continued throughout the weekend, causing many people in Mandalay to panic and run out onto the streets.
In the capital Bangkok of Thailand, nearly 1,000 km from Mandalay, the earthquake also left serious consequences. A building under construction collapsed, killing at least 18 people, injuring 33 and leaving 78 missing.
The International Red Cross has called for more than $100 million in emergency aid to help the victims. The organization warned that rising temperatures and the upcoming rainy season could cause a secondary crisis, worsening the situation.
This disaster has further put Myanmar in a dangerous position. The Southeast Asian country has been engulfed in civil war since the military coup in 2021, leaving 3.5 million homeless. Even after the earthquake, fighting still broke out. A rebel group said seven of their fighters were airstrikes immediately after the earthquake.
