Despite the challenges of downed power lines, destroyed roads, and the lack of equipment, volunteer rescue workers in Mandalay are racing against time to find survivors trapped beneath the ruins of buildings, monasteries, and mosques, while others come to terms with their losses. The rescue efforts are made even more difficult in a city that is already enduring a repressive military government and a civil war that has now entered its fourth year.

The earthquake, which struck at about 12:50 p.m. local time on Friday, was only the third of such magnitude to hit the region in the past century. The military junta declared a state of emergency in six regions, including rebel-controlled areas where there is little internet and millions of displaced people, which has left the extent of the catastrophe still unclear.

Some people managed to escape the disaster with their lives, but with great loss. Su Wai Lin, who is six months pregnant, lost her husband when he went back into their apartment building in Mandalay to save their 90-year-old neighbor, only to have the building collapse. The overcrowded hospitals in Mandalay were unable to accept more patients, with one survivor, Tay Zar Lin, having to wait all night in pain before seeing a doctor the following morning.

The military’s presence, which was seen as unhelpful by many, has fueled anger against the government. However, ordinary people from other parts of Myanmar and doctors from the Civil Disobedience Movement have traveled to Mandalay to help with the rescue efforts. Despite the lack of formal training in earthquake rescues, these volunteers are doing their best to find survivors, although they urgently need skilled rescue workers and heavy machinery.

The disaster has left its mark on the landscape of Mandalay, which is known as a center for Burmese culture and Buddhism. Shaken residents have gathered at hospitals and relief centers, mourning their losses and preparing for days without power. The full extent of the death toll remains unclear, but the scale of the disaster and the challenges faced by rescue efforts have highlighted the need for greater support and resources.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/world/asia/myanmar-earthquake-mandalay.html