After a powerful earthquake on Monday morning, a serious emergency situation has developed across various parts of Asia. Those trapped beneath fallen buildings and injured from the quake increased after the tremor at 3:42 a.m. local time already resulted in dozens of deaths. Local authorities are rushing to find out the full size of the problem while rescue missions persist in tough conditions.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the site of the earthquake was right in the mountains near the boundary between Myanmar and China’s Yunnan Province. It was shallow at about 10 kilometers, making the shake stronger and leading to serious damage to structures. Many people in cities like Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand were panicked and rushed out as the strong quake shook their buildings in the early hours. Because of the alert, several towns in Thailand were evacuated as a safety measure.
This tragedy has affected Myanmar the most among the affected countries. The government has issued a state of emergency for many regions, mainly in Shan State, where Lashio has been devastated. As of now, local authorities are reporting around 48 deaths, more than 300 people hurt, and some of their colleagues still cannot be found in the debris. Led by emergency teams and local volunteers, military units are looking for survivors by excavating collapsed buildings without much necessary equipment.
There was a loud noise, and everything became unstable right away. As Myo Thant and his family were running away in Lashio, the walls were cracking and the ground was shaking. Several residents from the region report the same thing, stating that the violent shaking woke them up and they had to flee in the dark with debris falling around them.
As a result of the earthquake in Yunnan Province, rural communities have been badly affected, mainly because their infrastructure is scarce and emergency help arrives more slowly. Due to broken roads, knocked-down power lines, and interrupted communication networks, it’s now difficult to help people in isolated parts of the country. Search-and-rescue teams from China have used both drones and thermal equipment to search for survivors from the earthquake.
In Thailand, even though destruction is not as great, the size of the quake was enough to alarm people in city areas. Buildings in those two cities shook for at least ten seconds, causing an evacuation of guests and patients from hotels and lofty apartments. A team from Thailand is currently checking the area to spot aftershocks and any damage to buildings.
The possibility of aftershocks being felt for days or weeks is a concern for geologists since this could lead to more damage to buildings and make efforts to recover more complicated. Organizations working towards humanitarian relief across Asia are acting, and signs indicate that international help might be sought if the extent of the disaster is really understood.
As the light of day comes to the region, pictures show that multiple schools are now rubble, temples have fallen, and many people are in emergency shelters. Since many of the survivors can no longer go home, they are now gathering in community centers and open areas for safety, worried that other tremors will happen.
The earthquake made people realize that the region is susceptible to earthquakes and urged the need for better buildings, caution, and early warnings. The priority right now is to rescue those built in, give medical treatment to injured people, and ensure shelter and assistance to those as witness to this disaster as they slept.
