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PM for any hospital discharge problem
Myanmar shake death toll hits 1,600
By J.Lo
“It’s mainly been local volunteers, local people who are just trying to find their loved ones,” Yangon-based manager of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Myanmar Cara Bragg said after bring briefed by her colleague in Mandalay smell of decaying bodies permeated streets of Myanmar’s second largest city, as people worked frantically by hand to clear rubble in hope of finding someone still alive, two days after massive earthquake struck killed more than 1,600 people and left countless others buried.
Magnitude 7.7 quake hit midday Friday with epicenter near Mandalay, bringing down scores of buildings and damaging other infrastructure like city’s airport.
Relief efforts have been hampered by buckled roads, downed bridges, spotty communications and the challenges of operating in a country in the midst of a civil war.
Search for survivors has been primarily conducted by local residents without aid of heavy equipment, moving rubble by hand and with shovels in 41-degree-Celsius heat, with only occasional tracked excavator to be seen.
A 5.1-magnitude aftershock Sunday afternoon prompted screams from those in streets, and then work continued.
Many of Mandalay’s 1.5 million people spent the night sleeping on streets, either left homeless by quake also shook neighboring Thailand and killed at least 17 people there or worried that continuing aftershocks might cause structures left unstable to collapse.
So far, 1,644 people have been reported killed in Myanmar and 3,408 missing, but many areas have not yet been reached, and many rescue efforts so far have been undertaken by people working by hand to try and clear rubble, said, Bragg.
“I’ve also seen reports that now some countries are sending search and rescue teams up to Mandalay to support efforts, but hospitals are really struggling to cope with influx of injured people, there’s shortage of medical supplies, and people are struggling to find food and clean water,” she added.
CRS was sending team by road to assess peoples’ most pressing needs so that it could target its own response.
With Mandalay airport damaged and control tower toppled in capital Naypitaw’s airport, all commercial flights into cities have been shut down.
Official relief efforts in Naypitaw were prioritizing government offices and staff housing, leaving locals and aid groups to dig through rubble by hand in residential areas, hot sun beating down and smell of death in the air.
Still, two Indian C-17 military transport aircraft were able to land late Saturday at Naypitaw with field hospital unit and some 120 personnel who were then to travel north to Mandalay to establish 60-bed emergency treatment center, according to the country’s Foreign Ministry. Other Indian supplies were flown into Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city, been hub of other foreign relief efforts.
Convoy of 17 Chinese cargo trucks carrying critical shelter and medical supplies was expected to reach Mandalay, after making arduous journey by road from Yangon.
The 650-kilometer journey has been taking 14 hours or longer, with clogged roads and traffic diverted from main highway to skirt damage from earthquake.
At the same time, window of opportunity to find anyone alive is rapidly closing. Most rescues occur within first 24 hours after disaster, and then survival chances drop as each day passes.
Initial report on earthquake relief efforts issued Saturday by UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted severe damage or destruction of many health facilities, and warned “severe shortage of medical supplies is hampering response efforts, including trauma kits, blood bags, anesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicines, and tents for health workers.”
China has sent more than 135 rescue personnel and experts, along with supplies like medical kits and generators and pledged around $13.8 million in emergency aid. Russia’s Emergencies Ministry had flown in 120 rescuers and supplies to Yangon and country’s Health Ministry said Moscow had sent medical team to Myanmar.
Teams from Singapore have been working already in Naypitaw. Malaysia dispatched team of 50 personnel with trucks, search and rescue equipment and medical supplies. Thailand said 55 of its soldiers arrived in Yangon to help with search and rescue operations, while Britain announced $13 million aid package to help its locally funded partners, already in Myanmar, to respond to crisis.
Four Filipinos in Myanmar remain unaccounted for, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
DFA migration affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said two of the four Filipinos are husband and wife residing in building that collapsed.
“According to the latest details, four Filipinos are unaccounted for, two of those missing are married… their building of residence collapsed,Myanmar is asking for help from other countries…many have died,” De Vega said.
Philippine embassy in Thailand denied reports claiming that 10 Filipinos died in earthquake in Thailand, calling information false.
De Vega said no Filipinos were hurt in Thailand. “In Thailand, there are no Filipinos injured or killed,” he added.
Philippine embassy in Myanmar continues to conduct welfare checks on affected Filipinos, and all embassy communication lines remain open to provide assistance and support.
Embassy is also preparing to deploy team in Mandalay for on-the-ground assessment and direct welfare checks on Filipinos in the area. Arrangements are also being made to mobilize and distribute essential supplies and basic necessities to those in need, including possible evacuation routes for relocation or repatriation.
“Embassy urges everyone to remain vigilant for possible aftershocks…we also encourage continued communication with fellow Filipinos in your community to ensure each other’s safety,” embassy said in its advisory.
For emergencies, embassy can be reached through Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) hotline (+95 998 521 0991) or official Philippine Embassy in Myanmar Facebook Messenger.
Meanwhile, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Teresito Bacolcol underscored need for disaster preparedness, saying there are at least 175 active fault segments in the Philippines with some capable of generating strong earthquakes between magnitude 7.2 and 8.2.
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