Myanmar Earthquake Death Toll Rises To More Than 1,000
The death toll from a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar has risen sharply to over 1,000, with fears it could climb much higher, state-run MRTV reported Saturday, as rescuers scrambled through rubble and desperate cries for help echoed from collapsed buildings.
The quake, whose epicenter was near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, devastated one of the world’s poorest nations as it reverberated through the country and across Southeast Asia.
The earthquake occurred around 1:30 p.m. local time on Friday, and it was followed 11 minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock. At 3:50 p.m. local time on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey recorded another 5.1-magnitude earthquake near the capital Naypyitaw, about 160 miles south of Mandalay.
