Dangers grow for Myanmar quake survivors, health system 'overwhelmed'

Ten days after a 7.7 magnitude quake levelled buildings and buckled bridges across central Myanmar, the latest death toll has passed 3,500 and is “likely to rise”, said Titon Mitra, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Representative in the country, speaking from the devastated city of Mandalay.

He said that the response has moved into a “tragic phase” shifting from rescue to recovery efforts.

Well over 4,000 people have been injured in the quakes last week and more than 80 per cent of buildings have been damaged – especially in the major townships of Sagaing, Mandalay and Magway.