Earthquake in Burma. The tragic balance of victims is growing

“Infrastructure such as roads, bridges and buildings felt the effects of the earthquake, causing fatalities and injuries among civilians. There is a rescue operation in the haunted areas,” says the Saturday communication of Junta, which cite Burmese state media. It stated that the number of fatalities increased to 694 and the wounded – to 1670.

The city of Mandalaj was the most destroyed, the second largest city of Burma, which was closest to the epicenter. One of the rescuers in Mandalaj told the BBC that “the damage is huge”. The rescue operation lasted all night, despite numerous secondary shocks.

On Friday, the Burmese authorities appealed to the international community for help in the form of medical drugs and equipment.

The American geological service (USGS) estimated that the number of fatalities in Burma may exceed 10,000, and material losses may exceed the gross domestic product of this country.

On Saturday, a 37-member team of rescuers from China came to Burma, bringing medicines and equipment to search for people under the rubble. According to Reuters, citing the TASS agency, Russia sent 120 rescuers to Burma with dogs trained to participate in rescue operations and doctors.

US President Donald Trump announced that he had talked to the authorities of Burma and declared that his administration would give some form of assistance.

The shocks with a magnitude 7.7, which hit Burma on Friday, were also felt in the neighboring Thailand, where hundreds of buildings were damaged, including skyscrapers in the capital's Bangkok 1000 km from the epicenter. On Saturday, an intensive rescue operation was undertaken, which aims to save workers imprisoned under the rubble of a 33-story skyscraper.