Myanmar earthquake toll crosses 3,000; forecast rains pose new threat
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The unseasonal rain is worsening the situation in Myanmar as rescue efforts continue following the devastating earthquake that has claimed over 3,000 lives.
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A rescuer works through the rubble of a collapsed building following Friday's earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, on April 1, 2025. (AP)
The death toll from Myanmar's devastating earthquake has exceeded 3,000, with hundreds more missing, as unseasonal rain forecasts complicate rescue and aid efforts in a country already torn by civil war.
The 7.7-magnitude quake, one of the strongest in the region in a century, struck last Friday, affecting 28 million people, destroying buildings, and leaving many without food, water, or shelter.
As of Wednesday, the death toll reached 3,003, with 4,515 injured and 351 missing, according to Myanmar's embassy in Japan.
Relief efforts face additional challenges as weather officials warn that unseasonal rain, expected from Sunday to April 11, could impact the hardest-hit areas, including Mandalay, Sagaing, and Naypyidaw.
"Rain is incoming and there are still so many buried," an aid worker in Myanmar told Reuters. "And in Mandalay, especially, if it starts to rain, people who are buried will drown even if they've survived until this point."
The embassy in Japan reported that 53 airlifts of aid have been sent to Myanmar, with over 1,900 rescue workers arriving from 15 countries, including Southeast Asian neighbors, China, India, and Russia.
Despite the widespread devastation, Myanmar's junta leader Min Aung Hlaing is set to leave the disaster-stricken country on Thursday for a rare regional summit in Bangkok, according to state television. This marks an unusual foreign trip for a general widely regarded as a pariah, facing Western sanctions and an International Criminal Court investigation.
Unseasonal rain
The rains will complicate the efforts of aid and rescue teams, who have called for access to all affected regions despite the ongoing civil war.
Since the 2021 coup that ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the military has struggled to govern Myanmar, facing international isolation and a crumbling economy and public services, including healthcare.
On Wednesday, state-run MRTV announced a unilateral government ceasefire for 20 days to support quake relief efforts, but warned that authorities would "respond accordingly" if rebels launched attacks.
The move followed a declaration of a ceasefire by a major rebel alliance on Tuesday to aid the humanitarian efforts.
Almost a week after the earthquake, search teams in neighboring Thailand continued scouring rubble from a collapsed skyscraper in Bangkok, using mechanical diggers and bulldozers to sift through 100 tons of concrete in hopes of finding survivors.
The disaster in Thailand has claimed 15 lives, with 72 still missing, while the nationwide death toll stands at 22.
