An armed resistance group in Myanmar has accused the ruling military government of continuing to carry out airstrikes on “civilian areas” in the wake of the huge earthquake in the country.
The 7.7 magnitude quake struck near the city of Mandalay at around 12.50m local time (6.20am UK time) on Friday while Myanmar is in the grips of a bloody civil war.
The death toll from the quake stands at 1,700, with 3,400 others injured and 300 missing, according to pro-military government Telegram channels, citing the country’s rulers.
Image: Chinese rescuers prepare to carry out a search and rescue operation in Mandalay. Pic: Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua via AP)
But the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) predictive modelling estimates that the number of dead will increase into the thousands, and could reach 10,000.
It comes as rescue and relief efforts in the country have been hampered by the ongoing civil war, which has raged since 2021.
Image: Buddhist monks walk past a collapsed building in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Pic: AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo
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Monks film as building collapses
The Karen National Union (KNU), one of Myanmar’s oldest ethnic armies, has said in a statement that the military government, known as a junta, is continuing to “carry out airstrikes targeting civilian areas”.
It said the strikes come “even as the population suffers tremendously from the earthquake”.
The KNU said that under normal circumstances, the military would be prioritising relief efforts after an earthquake, but instead it is focused on “deploying forces to attack its people”.
The Free Burma Rangers, a relief organisation, said military jets launched airstrikes and drone attacks in Karen state, near the KNU headquarters, in the south of the country, shortly after the quake on Friday.
It came before there were reports of mortar and drone attacks on Saturday.
Image: A Karen National Union soldier in 2024. Pic: Reuters
The junta has not confirmed whether or not it has been carrying out strikes since the disaster.
The epicentre of the quake was in an area held by junta forces, but the devastation is widespread and also affected some territory held by armed resistance movements.
On Sunday, the opposition National Unity Government, which includes remnants of the government ousted in a 2021 coup, said anti-junta militias under its command would pause all offensive military action for two weeks.
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Rescuers look for survivors of Myanmar earthquake
Image: A Buddhist monk walks near a pagoda in Mandalay after the earthquake. Pic: AP
Richard Horsey, the senior Myanmar adviser at Crisis Group, which works to resolve armed conflicts, said some anti-junta forces have halted their offensives, but fighting continues elsewhere.
“The regime also continues to launch airstrikes, including in affected areas. That needs to stop,” he said.
He claimed that the junta was not providing much visible support in quake-hit areas.
“Local fire brigades, ambulance crews, and community organisations have mobilised, but the military – who would normally be mobilised to support in such a crisis – are nowhere to be seen,” Mr Horsey said.
The junta broke its self-imposed isolation to appeal for help from the outside world following the earthquake. However, the country’s inaccessibility will likely remain a huge obstacle to aid efforts.
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Image: Rescuers work at the site of a collapsed building in Mandalay, Myanmar. Pic: Reuters
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0:18
Building in Thailand collapses after earthquake
The junta has said the earthquake is one of Myanmar’s strongest in a century – while the USGS suggests financial losses due to the disaster could exceed the country’s annual economic output.
While emergency rescue teams have started trickling into the area hardest hit by the quake, efforts have been hindered by damaged roads, downed bridges, poor communications and the challenges of operating in a country in the middle of a civil war.
Many areas still have not been reached.
Image: Rescuers workers at the site of a collapsed building in Mandalay: Pic: Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua via AP
Image: A building tilts precariously in Mandalay, Myanmar. Pic: Reuters
Most rescues occur within the first 24 hours after a disaster, with the chances of survival diminishing as each day passes.
Neighbouring Thailand was also shaken, such as in the capital, Bangkok, where 18 people were killed, including 11 who died when an under-construction skyscraper collapsed. At least 76 people are missing and believed to be trapped under the debris.
Twelve Chinese nationals are among the injured, according to Chinese state media.
Image: The earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand, and tremors also affected Laos, Vietnam, and Bangladesh
Image: Debris of a damaged building in Mandalay. Pic: AP
An initial report on earthquake relief efforts issued on Saturday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted the severe damage or destruction of many health facilities in Myanmar.
And it warned that a “severe shortage of medical supplies is hampering response efforts, including trauma kits, blood bags, anaesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicines, and tents for health workers”.
India, China and Thailand are among the neighbours that have sent relief materials and teams, along with aid and personnel.
The UK government has announced a package of £10m to support the people of Myanmar in the aftermath of the quake.
Four years of civil war
Myanmar has been locked in a conflict involving multiple armed opposition groups since a 2021 coup, when the military seized power from the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Many places are now dangerous or impossible for aid groups to reach.
More than three million people have been displaced by the fighting and nearly 20 million are in need, according to the United Nations.
