Nick Schifrin:
In neighboring Thailand, Friday’s terrifying collapse of a high-rise under construction sent people running for their lives. Today, at the site, they recovered one of the 18 who were killed. Authorities are investigating why the tower fell, when the damage to the rest of Bangkok was minimal.
The epicenter was near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, but the impact of the 7.7-magnitude quake spread to rural areas that today have little communications and are still stranded. Years of civil war following the 2021 military coup has left more than three million people displaced, and local media report fighting continued even this weekend between resistance groups and the military.
International aid organizations such as the U.N.’s Children’s Fund and World Food Program are working to deliver relief.
Sai Han Lynn Aung, Chief, UNICEF Field Office in Mandalay: We know this is an absolute catastrophe for children and family across Mandalay. Many homes have been destroyed, road and bridge damaged. Many children and family are still missing and traumatized.