Myanmar Quake Victims Left to Deal With Damaged Structures Alone

Nearly one month after a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Mandalay, many residents are still struggling to have their partially collapsed homes demolished and cleared away due to financial constraints, said residents and volunteers.

The massive earthquake on March 28 caused intensive damage to more than 10,000 homes and structures in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. The regime has not provided any assistance in dealing with these unstable buildings, forcing residents, local community groups and firefighters to clear debris and demolish unsafe and damaged buildings on their own. However, the scale of the damage has overwhelmed their resources.