Myanmar earthquake UPDATES: Families forced to ‘cremate bodies in street’ as deadly quake toll hits 1,700
FAMILIES are being 'forced to cremate loved ones in the street' as Mandalay crematoriums become overwhelmed by a surge in dead bodies.
Crematoriums are struggling to cope with the surge, Myanmar Now, a news agency based in Myanmar, is reporting.
The search for survivors following the deadly Myanmar earthquake is entering its third day as residents join rescue efforts.
The initial quake struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock.
In neighbouring Thailand, the earthquake affected the greater Bangkok area, home to around 17 million people, and other parts of the country, with 17 people now confirmed dead.
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Earthquake hits near Tonga
A strong 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit near Tonga, prompting an initial tsunami warning that was later lifted for the Pacific island country.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of the main island in the early morning hours of Monday local time, PA is reporting.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued an alert saying hazardous waves could be possible but later said there was no longer a tsunami threat.
Tsunami sirens could be heard after the 1:18 a.m. quake urging residents to move inland, according to the Talanoa o Tonga news site. There were no initial reports of damage.
In pictures - Myanmar earthquake
Here is the dramatic moment a woman is pulled ALIVE from the rubble of the earthquake.
In case you missed ...
The UK government has pledged a £10million “life-saving aid” package to Myanmar.
It is to support the humanitarian response in “the hardest hit areas of the earthquake”, with a particular focus on food, water and medical supplies and shelter.
Baroness Jennifer Chapman, minister of state for development, said: “The UK is sending immediate and life-saving support to the people of Myanmar following the devastating earthquake.
“UK-funded local partners are already mobilising a humanitarian response on the ground, and this £10 million package will bolster their efforts.
“I offer my deepest sympathies to the people of Myanmar after this tragic event.”
What we know so far
Welcome back to our live coverage of the aftermath of the deadly Myanmar earthquake, which has killed at least 1,700 people and injured over 3,400 others, with at least 300 more missing.
Here are the latest updates:
- Myanmar’s ruling junta said in a statement Sunday afternoon that about 1,700 people were confirmed dead so far, about 3,400 injured and around 300 more missing.
- The true scale of the disaster remains unclear in the isolated military-ruled state, and the toll is expected to rise significantly.
- Much of the rescue effort is being conducted by residents removing rubble by hand as many of the worst-hit areas have still not been reached by official agencies.
A Buddhist monk in Mandalay walks near a collapsed pagoda after the earthquake 'Severely hampered'
The UN has warned rescue operations have been severely hampered by the blocked roads and collapsed buildings.
It adds that a lack of medical supplies is making the response to the earthquake much more difficult than it would be otherwise.
A damaged building in Mandalay, central Myanmar, on Sunday 'Worst devastation in 100 years'
The Red Cross says the devastation in Myanmar is the worst seen in Asia in more than 100 years.
We'll bring you more on this story as it develops.
Crematoriums at 'breaking point'
Here is the report from Myanmar Now as the death toll hits 1,700 and crematoriums become overwhelmed, forcing families to cremate loved ones in the street.
A country in crisis
Myanmar's military junta is continuing to bomb parts of the war-torn country even as the death toll following the most powerful earthquake in over a century reaches 1,700.
The country has been in crisis since the military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, sparking mass protests that escalated into an armed rebellion against the junta (Myanmar’s military government).
The then Foreign Secretary Johnson meeting Aung San Suu Kyi in 2018Credit: EPA
In pictures - Mandalay earthquake
Here are some of the latest images coming in to us across the wires from Myanmar.
A Buddhist monk in Mandalay walks near a collapsed pagoda after the earthquake 
A damaged building in Mandalay 
People watch as a volunteer drives an excavator to help rescue operations near Maharmyatmuni pagoda after an earthquake in Mandalay Hospitals struggling to cope
Hospitals in parts of central and northwestern Myanmar, including Mandalay and Sagaing, were struggling to cope with the influx of injured people, according to the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (OCHA).
“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,” OCHA said in a statement on Saturday.
Rescue workers carry the body of a victim at the site of an under-construction building that collapsed in Bangkok following the earthquake in neighbouring Myanmar Residents removing rubble by hand
The earthquake was the biggest to hit Myanmar since 1912, according to the United States Geological Survey, and has devastated civilian infrastructure including the main highway running up the spine of the country.
Many of the worst-hit areas have still not been reached by official agencies, with most rescue efforts being conducted by local residents removing rubble by hand.
Members from the Chinese Rescue Team of Ramunion conduct rescue work in Mandalay China joins aid effort
Chinese workers were pictured earlier today loading relief materials on to a chartered flight at the Kunming Changshui International Airport in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province.
A chartered flight carrying about 7.3 tonnes of clothes, medicines, instant noodles, tents and other daily and relief materials took off on Sunday to support the earthquake relief work.
It comes as the UN warns medical supply shortage is hampering rescue efforts.
Staff members load relief materials on to the chartered flight in Kunming Death toll expected to rise 'significantly'
Welcome back to our live coverage of the aftermath of the deadly Myanmar earthquake which has killed at least 1,700 people and injured over 3,400 others, with at least 300 more missing.
Here are the latest updates:
- Myanmar's ruling junta said in a statement Sunday afternoon that about 1,700 people were confirmed dead so far, about 3,400 injured and around 300 more missing.
- The true scale of the disaster remains unclear in the isolated military-ruled state, and the toll is expected to rise significantly.
- Much of the rescue effort is being conducted by residents removing rubble by hand as many of the worst-hit areas have still not been reached by official agencies.
One of the buildings that collapsed in the aftermath of the earthquake in Mandalay We are pausing our live coverage for now
Head to thesun.co.uk/news/worldnews/ for more of our world stories.
UK gives £10million in aid to Myanmar
The UK government has pledged a £10million "life-saving aid" package to Myanmar.
It is to support the humanitarian response in "the hardest hit areas of the earthquake", with a particular focus on food, water and medical supplies and shelter.
Baroness Jennifer Chapman, minister of state for development, said: "The UK is sending immediate and life-saving support to the people of Myanmar following the devastating earthquake.
"UK-funded local partners are already mobilising a humanitarian response on the ground, and this £10 million package will bolster their efforts.
"I offer my deepest sympathies to the people of Myanmar after this tragic event."
Before and after satellite pictures reveal destruction in Myanmar
Credit: AP 
Credit: AP 
Credit: AP 
Credit: AP Rebel group announces ceasefire in Myanmar
Myanmar's rebel group and shadow National Unity Government, which has been fighting against the ruling military, has announced a partial ceasefire to facilitate earthquake relief efforts.
An announcement issued Saturday night said its armed wing, the People's Defense Force (PDF), will implement a two-week pause in offensive military operations starting Sunday in earthquake-affected areas.
It said it would collaborate with the UN and non-governmental organizations to ensure security, transportation, and the establishment of temporary rescue and medical camps in the areas it controls.
Horror satellite pictures reveal the extent of damage
A satellite picture released by Maxar Technologies on March 29 shows collapsed and destroyed shacks and buildings in Mandalay, Myanmar.
Another image shows the collapsed Inwa Bridge over the Irrawaddy River near Mandalay.
Credit: AFP 
Credit: AFP 
Credit: AFP Death toll rises to 1,644
Myanmar's ruling military said Saturday on state television that the confirmed death toll from a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake rose to 1,644, as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of the scores of buildings that collapsed when it struck near the country's second-largest city.
The new total is a sharp rise compared to the 1,002 total announced just hours earlier, underlining the difficulty of confirming casualties over a widespread region and the likelihood that the numbers will continue to grow from Friday's quake.
The number of injured increased to 3,408, while the missing figure rose to 139.
Rescue efforts are underway, especially in the major stricken cities of Mandalay, the country's second major city, and Naypyitaw, the capital.
But even though teams and equipment have been flown in from other nations, they are hindered by the airports in those cities being damaged and apparently unfit to land planes.
Credit: AP In pictures: Woman is pulled ALIVE from rubble
Credit: AFP 
Credit: AFP 
Credit: AFP 
Credit: AFP
Watch: Swimmer nearly swept off roof in Bangkok as pool water sloshes over during Myanmar quake
Devastating 7.7 Myanmar earthquake death toll surges as new footage emergesMyanmar’s capital rocked by aftershocks as quake damage mounts
Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw has been rocked by multiple aftershocks in the wake of Friday’s deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake — with residents fleeing to monasteries for safety.
“It shook at least six times during the night. Most people are now running to and from monasteries and other places,” a local resident told the BBC.
Though 150 miles from the quake’s epicentre, Naypyidaw suffered major damage, with several buildings reportedly collapsing.
Junta chief General Min Aung Hlaing visited hospitals in the capital on Saturday before heading to Mandalay — one of the worst-hit areas.
Quake death toll expected to rise - Red Cross
The death toll from Myanmar's devastating earthquake is expected to keep climbing as millions remain in danger, the Red Cross has warned.
Francesca Capoluongo from the International Federation of the Red Cross told the BBC: “The initial estimates suggest that over 18 million people live within the earthquake impacted area, so of course we can expect these figures to keep increasing.”
“The search and rescue is still ongoing. It’s very difficult now to validate any figure, and we know that it will continue to increase and (that) many of these eighteen million people are now without safe shelter, access to clean water, reliable health care,” she added.
Myanmar's official death toll currently stands at 1,007, according to the country's military government.
Satellite images reveal Myanmar airport tower collapse after quake
Satellite images have revealed the full force of Myanmar’s deadly earthquake — showing the air traffic control tower at Naypyitaw International Airport completely collapsed.
Photos taken by Planet Labs PBC and analysed by the Associated Press show the tower “toppled over as if sheered from its base,” with debris scattered across the runway.
The tower controlled all air traffic in Myanmar’s capital.
It’s not yet known if anyone was injured, but the tower would have been staffed at the time the 7.7 magnitude quake struck on Friday.
The collapse has likely crippled flight operations into the capital, as all radar and electronics were routed through the now-destroyed tower.
Rescue flights from China have instead been diverted to Yangon, rather than heading directly to the hard-hit cities of Mandalay and Naypyitaw.
Credit: AP