Smell of death permeates Myanmar cities as earthquake toll exceeds 1,700

Mandalay (Myanmar): The scent of decay filled the air in Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay, on Sunday as residents worked tirelessly, digging through rubble with their bare hands in a desperate search for survivors. Two days after a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck, over 1,700 lives have been lost, with countless others still trapped beneath collapsed structures.

The earthquake, which hit around midday on Friday, had its epicenter near Mandalay, toppling buildings, damaging roads, and rendering the city’s airport inoperable. The disaster has severely hindered relief efforts, with buckled roads, destroyed bridges, and unreliable communication networks complicating rescue operations. Myanmar’s ongoing civil conflict has only exacerbated the situation, making access to certain areas difficult for aid workers and government responders.

With little to no access to heavy machinery, local residents have taken matters into their own hands, sifting through debris using shovels and their hands. The search takes place under extreme conditions, with temperatures soaring to 41 degrees Celsius (106 Fahrenheit). Occasional aftershocks, including a 5.1 magnitude tremor on Sunday afternoon, have instilled fear among residents, but rescue efforts continue undeterred.

“The people here are doing everything they can with what little they have,” said Cara Bragg, the Yangon-based manager of Catholic Relief Services in Myanmar. “It’s mainly been local volunteers trying to find their loved ones. Hospitals are overwhelmed, medical supplies are running low, and there is an urgent need for food and clean water.”

Bragg’s organization dispatched a team to assess the most immediate needs of affected communities. With Mandalay’s airport heavily damaged and the control tower at Naypyitaw’s airport collapsed, commercial flights to these cities have been suspended, further hampering aid delivery.

Rescue efforts in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyitaw, have primarily focused on government offices and staff housing, leaving residential areas reliant on local volunteers and aid groups for assistance. In one case, a Chinese rescue team managed to pull an elderly man alive from the rubble of a hospital nearly 40 hours after the quake, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.

Myanmar is located on the Sagaing Fault, a major geological boundary between the Indian and Sunda tectonic plates. The earthquake resulted from the rupture of a 200-kilometre segment of the fault, causing widespread devastation across multiple regions, including Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway, Bago, and Shan State. With communication networks severely disrupted, reports from areas outside major urban centres remain scarce.

Despite these challenges, a convoy of 17 Chinese cargo trucks carrying medical and shelter supplies was en route to Mandalay on Sunday, navigating heavily congested roads and detours. The 650-kilometre journey from Yangon, which typically takes about 10 hours, has been stretched to over 14 hours due to quake-induced damage.

Time is running out for those still trapped under rubble. Experts warn that the chances of survival decrease significantly beyond the first 24 hours following a disaster. A United Nations report issued on Saturday highlighted the extensive damage to healthcare facilities and a critical shortage of medical supplies, including trauma kits, blood bags, anaesthetics, and essential medicines.

Several countries have stepped in with assistance. China has dispatched over 135 rescue personnel along with medical kits and generators and pledged approximately USD 13.8 million in emergency aid. Russia has deployed 120 rescuers and medical personnel to Myanmar, while Singaporean teams have already begun working in Naypyitaw. Malaysia sent a team of 50 search and rescue workers on Sunday, equipped with medical supplies and specialized tools. Thailand has also contributed by sending 55 military personnel to assist in relief efforts. The United Kingdom announced a USD 13 million aid package to support local partners involved in the crisis response.

In neighboring Thailand, the earthquake’s tremors caused significant damage, including the collapse of a high-rise under construction in Bangkok, approximately 1,300 kilometers from the epicenter. Thai authorities have confirmed 18 fatalities so far, with 11 bodies recovered from the construction site near the Chatuchak market.

Within Myanmar, relief efforts remain focused on Mandalay and Naypyitaw, the hardest-hit areas. However, Bragg warned that the full scale of the disaster is still unknown. “We are hearing reports of hundreds of people trapped in different locations,” she said. “With the current death toll at 1,700 and so much uncertainty, we fear that number will rise significantly.”

The crisis is unfolding in the backdrop of Myanmar’s brutal civil war, which has further complicated rescue and relief operations. The military seized power in 2021, ousting the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, leading to a protracted conflict with opposition forces. Large portions of the country remain under the control of resistance groups, making it difficult for aid organizations to reach affected populations.

The conflict has already displaced over three million people, with nearly 20 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations. Even before the earthquake, access to aid was heavily restricted by the military, and attacks against civilian populations were common.

Amid ongoing airstrikes and reports of mortar and drone attacks in quake-affected areas, international observers have called for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian efforts to proceed without interference. Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in

Myanmar, urged military authorities to allow aid workers safe passage. “Every minute counts,” Andrews stated on social media.

“Aid must reach those in desperate need without obstruction.”