Death toll in Nyaungshwe Township near Shan State’s famed Inle Lake reaches nearly 100 since earthquake

The death toll from 19 villages around Inle Lake in Nyaungshwe Township of southern Shan State approached 100 on Monday, with 2,790 homes destroyed by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar on Friday, according to aid workers and residents.

“We’re now staying at monasteries, schools, and makeshift huts on floating islands,” a Nyaungshwe resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity. He added that the phone connection is intermittent, and that there’s a lack of clean drinking water and a suitable place to cook food.

Nyaungshwe is located 24 miles (38 km) south of the Shan State capital Taunggyi. Residents reported that they have received little to no assistance from outside the community and are surviving on meals provided by those living in nearby villages who weren’t impacted by the earthquake.