Devastating Earthquake Strikes Conflict-Ridden Myanmar

A devastating earthquake has compounded the hardships faced by Myanmar, a nation already suffering from a prolonged civil conflict. This natural catastrophe struck at the heart of the country on Friday, disrupting a region struggling with isolation even before the quake’s destruction.

The timing of this disaster adds to the turmoil. Southeast Asia’s Myanmar is grappling with a civil war that erupted when the military junta seized control in 2021. This ongoing battle against pro-democracy fighters and ethnic rebels has already left the nation in disarray.

Now entering its fifth year, the conflict has severely impaired communication and transportation throughout Myanmar. As a result, assessing the full extent of the earthquake’s damage remains challenging.

Official reports indicate that over 1,000 individuals have perished, yet experts anticipate that the actual death toll could be significantly higher, with a full account emerging over weeks.

A Historic City Bears the Brunt

Reports have surfaced detailing the destruction in Mandalay, once an illustrious royal capital with a population of about 1.5 million and located near the quake’s epicenter.

The city, renowned for its majestic Buddhist monasteries and extensive palace, witnessed buildings, including homes, offices, mosques, and religious sites, collapse. Roads into Mandalay were torn apart by tremors said to have released energy equal to “334 atomic bombs,” according to a geologist.

Residents described frantic efforts to provide medical aid to injured family members and the agonizing wait for news of friends trapped under debris.

CNN contacted a Mandalay resident who shared the terrifying experience as her family member was buried under rubble. She requested anonymity.

“The quake was intense and swift,” she recounted. She had been preparing baby formula when the 7.7 magnitude quake struck near her home east of the city.

A portion of the house collapsed over her grandmother, covering her legs in debris.

“The door was blocked by a fallen fence. I screamed for help, and my husband managed to force it open,” she narrated.

A former lawyer from the city, not wishing to reveal his identity, told CNN that the earthquake claimed the lives of three of his wife’s relatives.

“We haven’t been able to retrieve their bodies yet,” he shared.

The quake’s impact extended to the city’s mosques, crowded for Friday prayers.

“Many Muslims were trapped as the buildings fell, causing numerous injuries and deaths. One mosque alone has over a hundred wounded,” another person recounted.

Across the Irrawaddy River which runs by Mandalay, the Sagaing region, characterized by its rural landscape, suffered too. Many residents live in wooden and thatched homes—structures less likely to collapse in an earthquake.

Nang Aye Yin, 34, expressed relief that no lives were lost when a relative’s nunnery collapsed, although two individuals were seriously hurt.

“An 11-year-old niece lost three toes, and a nun broke a head and a leg.” Hospitals in Sagaing and Mandalay were overwhelmed, unable to accept more patients.

An Uncommon Appeal for International Aid

Myanmar’s military junta, which took control through a 2021 coup after a short democratic interval, has a history of downplaying consequences in crises and avoiding foreign assistance.

This occurrence stands apart.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing quickly sought international aid, visiting Mandalay to assess the damage while state media reported a similar inspection of Naypyidaw, the capital, also severely affected.

Several neighboring nations began dispatching aid and rescue teams on the following Saturday.

China, historically an ally of the junta, was first to respond, sending supplies to Myanmar’s commercial hub, Yangon, confirmed by Chinese state media.

Singapore, Malaysia, India, and Russia also pledged support.

For the residents of quake-hit Mandalay, however, located around 380 miles from Yangon, uncertainty in transportation furthers their anguish.

“Waiting for news of missing friends is driving me insane,” said the former lawyer.