Sagaing, Myanmar — A week after the most powerful earthquake to hit Myanmar in a century, the air in Sagaing still carries the overwhelming stench of death. Survivors sleep on roadsides, rescue workers dig through rubble with bare hands, and cries for help echo unanswered across towns reduced to ruins.

When the earthquake struck last Friday, Ko Zeyer raced from Mandalay to his hometown of Sagaing — a journey that normally takes just 45 minutes. But with roads destroyed, bridges down, and buildings collapsed, it took him 24 agonizing hours to reach his family.

They were alive. Many others were not.

“The smell of the dead bodies has overwhelmed the town,” said Ko Zeyer, a local social worker. “Almost everyone lives and sleeps on the street. I sleep in a doorway — so I can run if the aftershocks come.”

With more than 3,145 confirmed dead, the true toll remains unknown. Many victims are still buried under the debris. The heat swelters at 100°F (37°C), and survivors wait in long queues for food, water, and shelter — swatting away mosquitoes and sleeping under tarps, if they’re lucky.

Kyaw Min, a volunteer rescuer aligned with Myanmar’s shadow government, the National Unity Government (NUG), described the devastation: entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble — homes, schools, temples, mosques, markets.

“It looks like a nuclear bomb hit,” he said. “We’ve pulled out bodies of children, the elderly… some without heads, arms, or legs.”

According to Kyaw Min, around 80% of Sagaing was damaged, with surrounding villages similarly flattened. Rescue efforts have been painfully slow. Damaged roads and collapsed bridges delayed the arrival of machinery and aid, costing countless lives.

“By the time help came,” Ko Zeyer said, “it was too late for many.”

Conflict Zone Compounds the Crisis

Sagaing isn’t just a disaster zone — it’s a war zone. Since the 2021 coup, the region has been a battleground between the ruling junta and pro-democracy “People’s Defense Forces.”

Military airstrikes have continued even after the earthquake. Some survivors say bombs fell within days of the tremor. A ceasefire was only announced Thursday — and reports suggest it’s already been broken.

“Why hasn’t Min Aung Hlaing sent in all of his military assets for rescue and relief?” asked former UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee. “We only see civilians digging into the rubble.”

Even in this catastrophe, Myanmar’s ruling generals are accused of prioritizing control over compassion.

In a rare move, the junta asked for foreign aid. Rescue teams from China, Russia, India, Malaysia, and Pakistan have arrived. But their presence remains minimal compared to the scale of destruction.

Local residents say much of the aid is going to military-controlled areas, while opposition-held communities are left to fend for themselves.

“Some areas haven’t seen a single government official,” said Claire Gibbons from Partners Relief and Development, whose team reached a devastated village near Inle Lake days after the quake.

Barriers to aid include:

• Military checkpoints
• Nighttime curfews
• Visa issues for foreign teams
• Required approvals for aid deliveries
• Reports of aid being seized or volunteers being forced to register with the junta

“We’re afraid to send our Myanmar staff,” Gibbons said. “There’s too much risk of arrest or forced recruitment.”

Despite the urgency, the international response has been underwhelming. A small USAID team is on the ground, and Washington has pledged $2 million — a fraction of what’s needed.

Beijing, a key ally of the junta, pledged 100 million yuan ($13.7 million) in relief and deployed rescuers. But analysts warn about the risk of international aid being misused or misdirected by the regime.

“My real worry is that the international community will not respond at the scale needed,” said Richard Horsey, Senior Adviser at Crisis Group.

Across Sagaing and beyond, survivors urgently need:

• Clean drinking water
• Food
• Shelter tarps
• Mosquito nets
• Medicine
• Cooking supplies and sanitation kits

“We don’t even dare to ask how many have died,” Ko Zeyer said. “Almost every family has lost someone. The grief is everywhere.”

In a country torn by civil war, abandoned by its government, and facing one of the deadliest natural disasters in its history — it is the people, once again, who are left to save each other.

Source: CNN – The smell of death still lingers in the town at the epicenter of Myanmar’s earthquake

The post Trapped and Forgotten: Survivors of Myanmar’s Deadly Earthquake Speak Out appeared first on Journos News - Breaking News, World News, Top Stories, Todays Headlines and Flash Reports.

A devastating earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday, intensifying the suffering in a country already reeling from years of civil war. The 7.7 magnitude quake hit the heart of a conflict-torn nation, further isolating Myanmar, which had already been struggling with disrupted communications and transportation. As rescue operations struggle to gain ground, voices from the rubble are starting to emerge, revealing a story of desperation, loss, and a glimmer of hope amidst devastation.

Myanmar has been embroiled in a brutal civil war since the military junta seized power in a 2021 coup. Pro-democracy fighters and ethnic rebel groups have fought back against the regime, leaving the country divided and vulnerable. Now, just as things seemed at their worst, the natural disaster has piled on fresh misery.

The earthquake struck in the middle of this ongoing conflict, further complicating efforts to provide relief. The military government has reported over 1,600 deaths, but experts warn that the true toll could be much higher. Given the ongoing communications breakdown and the scale of destruction, it may take weeks for the full impact to be known.

As reports began trickling in from the epicenter of the quake, the city of Mandalay – Myanmar’s former royal capital and home to over 1.5 million people – emerged as the hardest-hit area. Known for its Buddhist monasteries and historical sites, Mandalay saw its infrastructure collapse under the intense force of the earthquake, which released energy equivalent to “334 atomic bombs,” according to one geologist.

Residents recalled the chaos as buildings crumbled and roads were ruptured. “It hit very strong and very fast,” said a woman from Mandalay, describing the terrifying moment her grandmother was trapped under debris. “The door couldn’t open as a fence had collapsed onto it. I shouted for help, and my husband managed to open it just in time.”

As the earth shook, residents frantically tried to rescue loved ones, often with nothing but their hands. A former lawyer in Mandalay told CNN that three members of his wife’s family had been killed. “We haven’t been able to recover their bodies,” he said, overwhelmed by grief and helplessness.

Mandalay’s mosques, busy with Friday prayers, were also hit. “When the buildings collapsed, many Muslims were trapped inside,” one man recalled. “There are more than a hundred injured.”

Across the Irrawaddy River in Sagaing region, a more rural area of Myanmar, the destruction continued. Many homes there are made from wood and thatch, which are more likely to survive earthquakes. Yet, in some areas, buildings were still destroyed, leaving survivors in urgent need of medical care.

Nang Aye Yin, a resident of Sagaing, spoke of the collapse of a nunnery where his relative was studying. “Luckily, no one died, but two were badly wounded,” he said. “One niece lost three toes, and another nun suffered severe head injuries.”

Hospitals in both Sagaing and Mandalay were overwhelmed with casualties and turned many away. “They’re already at full capacity,” Nang said. “We were forced to wait for care.”

Meanwhile, survivors and rescue teams have voiced frustration over the lack of heavy machinery and military support for recovery efforts. “There’s too much rubble, and no rescue teams have come for us,” one Mandalay survivor told Reuters.

In an unprecedented move, Myanmar’s military junta has appealed for foreign aid. Historically, the junta has resisted international assistance, opting instead to minimize the impact of disasters. This time, however, the scale of the destruction has forced their hand.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing visited Mandalay on Saturday to assess the damage. Shortly after, neighboring countries, including China, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and Russia, announced plans to send rescue teams and supplies.

In an unusual turn, Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG), a group formed by deposed lawmakers, declared a two-week pause in military operations. This “temporary ceasefire” aims to allow humanitarian relief efforts to take precedence. The NUG called on all ethnic groups and citizens to cooperate in rescue operations, providing much-needed relief to the victims.

The earthquake that struck Myanmar is the most powerful in a century. Experts explained that the rupture, which lasted a full minute, released immense energy, causing dramatic sideways movements on the ground. “Think of a piece of paper tearing,” said James Jackson from the University of Cambridge, describing the force that sent shockwaves across the country.

Despite its magnitude, the quake was not entirely unexpected. It occurred along the Sagaing Fault, a major geological fault line that has historically been the site of large earthquakes.

As the dust settles, Myanmar faces an uncertain future. The government, already stretched thin by internal conflict, is struggling to provide adequate relief to the tens of thousands affected by the quake. Meanwhile, the resistance forces and civilian groups are stepping in to fill the gaps, offering what help they can in the absence of military support.

For the people of Mandalay and beyond, the road to recovery will be long and filled with challenges. But amidst the destruction, the resilience of the Myanmar people shines through, as they continue to search for survivors and rebuild their shattered communities.

Source: CNN – Voices are starting to emerge from quake devastated Myanmar. Here’s what we are hearing

The post Voices from the Rubble: Myanmar’s Struggle After the Quake appeared first on Journos News - Breaking News, World News, Top Stories, Todays Headlines and Flash Reports.