Myanmar earthquake death toll nearing 4,000; Bodies recovered from collapsed Bangkok high-rise building

Myanmar earthquake death toll nearing 4,000

Rescuers have recovered the bodies of over 39 Buddhist monks and five lay people from collapsed buildings at the Masoeyein monastery in Mandalay as of Tuesday. “We were fortunate because the five-story new Masoeyein hall collapsed after the monks had already gone outside,” Pinnyasara, a student at the monastery, told DVB.

The death toll of Buddhist monks in Mandalay is over 100, according to various reports. The earthquake destroyed the U Hla Thein monastery, where 270 monks were taking a religious exam on March 28. Rescue workers told the Associated Press on Monday that 50 bodies had been recovered, 70 monks escaped, and 150 remain missing. At least 301 bodies were recovered from five towns in the Mandalay Region on Monday.