Myanmar earthquake death toll passes 3,000 with hundreds still missing

The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Myanmar last week has surpassed 3,000, the military junta said on Thursday, as NGOs scramble to provide healthcare and shelter to survivors.

Last Friday's 7.7 magnitude earthquake — one of the biggest in a century in the war-stricken Southeast Asian nation — brought down thousands of buildings, buckled roads and destroyed bridges in multiple regions.

At least 3,085 people have died, while 4,715 have been injured and 341 are missing, the military said in a short statement.

Local media reports of casualties have been much higher than government figures. With communication networks affected by the disaster and many places still difficult to reach, the official death toll could rise sharply as more information arrives.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said an initial assessment showed that four hospitals and one health centre had been completely destroyed, while another 32 hospitals and 18 health centres had been partially damaged.

"With infrastructure compromised and patient numbers surging, access to health care has become nearly impossible in many of the worst-hit areas," the UN agency said.

"Thousands of people are in urgent need of trauma care, surgical interventions and treatment for disease outbreaks," it said, warning that cholera was a particular risk.

At least 1,550 international rescuers were operating alongside local citizens on Thursday, the military said. Rescue supplies and equipment have been sent by 17 nations.

The earthquake has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis, with more than 3 million people displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million in need before the disaster, according to the UN.

Regional summit

Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup that has led to a brutal civil war.

Amid concerns that ongoing fighting could hinder aid efforts, the military declared a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday, until 22 April.

The announcement followed unilateral temporary ceasefires announced by armed resistance groups opposed to military rule. The junta said it would still take “necessary” measures against the groups if they use the ceasefire to regroup, train or launch attacks.

Separately, it was announced on state television that junta leader Min Aung Hlaing would leave Myanmar on Thursday to attend a regional summit of mostly South Asian nations in Bangkok.

His planned attendance at the BIMSTEC summit — which was confirmed by Thailand's foreign ministry — marks a rare foreign trip for Min Aung Hlaing.

He has been ostracised in the region since seizing power, and is the subject of Western sanctions as well as an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Myanmar is not a member of the ICC, and the junta has dismissed the warrant.