Myanmar junta declares ceasefire amid quake devastation as death toll nears 3,000
More than 3 million people had been displaced, and nearly 20 million were in urgent need of humanitarian aid.;
The devastating 7.7-magnitude quake struck Myanmar on Friday, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Guwahati, Apr 3: Myanmar’s ruling military declared a temporary ceasefire in the country’s ongoing civil war on Wednesday to facilitate earthquake relief efforts, as the death toll from Friday’s massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake surged to 2,886, with another 4,639 injured.
In a rare moment of hope, rescuers pulled two men alive from the rubble of a collapsed hotel in Naypyidaw, Myanmar’s capital, early Wednesday. However, most rescue teams have been recovering only bodies, five days after the disaster.
The earthquake struck midday on Friday, levelling thousands of buildings, destroying bridges, and buckling roads. State television MRTV confirmed the official death toll at 2,886, but local reports suggest the actual number could be significantly higher.
Myanmar was already reeling from a deepening humanitarian crisis due to the civil war that erupted after the military seized power in 2021, overthrowing the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Even before the earthquake, more than 3 million people had been displaced, and nearly 20 million were in urgent need of humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations.
In response to the disaster, two major armed resistance forces have announced temporary ceasefires to allow for humanitarian relief efforts.
With inputs from news agency
