Devastating quake leaves Myanmar junta on shaky ground

Cries echoed through the rubble as buildings crumbled across central Myanmar. Families and neighbours dug first. Rescue teams arrived later—slowly, if at all.

As the cries faded into silence, the urgency of the rescue effort gave way to the next phase, recovery. Increasingly, resources were deployed along lines drawn since the military took power, rather than following the trail of destruction.