No Equipment, Bare-Handed... Desperate Rescue Efforts by Gangjin in Myanmar

Official Death Toll in Myanmar Earthquake Surpasses 2,000
Bare-Handed Rescue Efforts Continue Due to Lack of Equipment
Rescue Teams from Around the World Arrive in Myanmar

As aftershocks continue in Myanmar following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake, desperate 'bare-handed' rescue efforts are underway. On the 30th (local time), foreign media including the AP reported that the Myanmar military government announced that the death toll from the earthquake has exceeded 2,000 and more than 3,400 people have been injured. They also reported that a magnitude 5.1 earthquake occurred 21 km northwest of Mandalay. Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar located in the central region, is an area where many buildings collapsed and numerous people were trapped under debris due to this earthquake. Earthquakes have continued in the Southeast Asia region, including a magnitude 5.1 quake in Aceh Province, Indonesia.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Myanmar, and as aftershocks continue, desperate 'bare-handed' rescue efforts are ongoing. Photo by AP and Yonhap News

In the affected areas including Mandalay, rescue operations continued on the third day after the earthquake to avoid missing the 'golden time' for saving survivors. Rescue teams and citizens, lacking proper equipment, are digging through debris with their hands. Kara Bragg, a member of a Catholic relief organization, said, "Although there have been many casualties, there are still many places where rescue efforts have not reached, and so far most rescue activities have been carried out by volunteers and residents manually clearing debris."

Meanwhile, as the international community and countries around the world pledged support for Myanmar, rescue personnel and supplies have been arriving in Myanmar one after another. So far, China, Russia, India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore have dispatched personnel along with relief supplies. The United States promised $2 million in aid through humanitarian organizations based in Myanmar. The U.S. government announced that the emergency response team from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which had large staff reductions during the Trump administration, will be deployed to Myanmar. Notably, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated a 71% probability that the death toll from this earthquake will exceed 10,000. The probability of more than 100,000 deaths was 36%, and the probability of deaths between 10,000 and 100,000 was 35%.

Amidst this, the international community and countries around the world have pledged support for Myanmar, and rescue personnel and supplies are arriving in Myanmar one after another. So far, China, Russia, India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore have dispatched personnel along with relief supplies. AP·Yonhap News

International organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) declared the Myanmar earthquake a highest-level emergency and called for urgent international support. WHO declared the Myanmar earthquake a highest-level emergency and requested $8 million (approximately 11.7 billion KRW) in emergency funding. The IFRC also announced the launch of an emergency fundraising campaign worth 100 million Swiss francs (approximately $115 million / about 166.9 billion KRW) to assist with the Myanmar earthquake disaster. The IFRC stated that through this fundraising campaign, they plan to provide life-saving relief and initial recovery support to 100,000 people (20,000 households) over the next 24 months.

Meanwhile, casualties increased in Bangkok, Thailand, where a 30-story building under construction collapsed due to the Myanmar earthquake. On this day, Bangkok city authorities reported 17 deaths and 32 injuries in Bangkok caused by the earthquake. The number of missing persons was counted at 83. Most of the casualties and missing persons in Thailand came from a government building under construction near the famous Chatuchak Market in Bangkok.