New Delhi: The death toll from the earthquake that hit Myanmar nearly a week ago has risen to 3,145 as search and rescue teams found more bodies.
As many as 4,589 people were injured and 221 others were missing, state television reported.
The epicentre of the 7.7 magnitude quake on March 28 was near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. It brought down thousands of buildings, buckled roads and destroyed bridges in multiple regions.
Local media reports of casualties have been much higher than the official figures. With telecommunications widely out and many places difficult to reach, the numbers could rise sharply as more details come in.
A report issued Thursday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that the earthquake and aftershocks have affected more than 17 million people across 57 of the country’s 330 townships, including more than 9 million who were severely affected.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday told Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing that India was doing everything possible to assist the nation in recovering from the aftermath of a massive earthquake that killed several thousands.
Modi met Senior General Min, the head of Myanmar’s military government, on the sidelines of the Summit meeting of the leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral and Technical Cooperation (BIMSTEC) grouping.
This was the Prime Minister’s first interaction with Senior General Min, who came to power in a military coup in February 2021.
“We also discussed bilateral relations between India and Myanmar, particularly in sectors like connectivity, capacity building, infrastructure development and more,” he said.
Sources said the Senior General thanked the Prime Minister for the relief assistance.
He also appreciated the Prime Minister’s reconstruction work and leadership during the Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat and the learnings for Myanmar and others from it.
