International aid began arriving in Myanmar on Saturday as rescuers searched for survivors after a powerful earthquake struck the Southeast Asian country, amid fears the death toll could rise.
State media reported that the death toll had risen to 1, while the number of injured reached 002, and 2 people were missing. The ruling military council said in a statement carried by state media: "Infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and buildings, has been damaged, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries. Search and rescue operations are currently underway in the affected areas."
Military council chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing warned Friday that the number of dead and injured could rise and appealed to "every country" to provide aid and donations.
A Chinese rescue team arrived on Saturday, while Russia and the United States offered help in the disaster that occurred on Friday and damaged hundreds of buildings in neighboring Thailand.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry announced that Seoul will provide $2 million in humanitarian aid through international organizations to help with earthquake relief efforts in Myanmar.
Forecast models developed by the U.S. Geological Survey indicate that the death toll in Myanmar could exceed 10, and losses could exceed the value of the country's gross domestic product. Most of the damage was recorded in the city of Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, located near the epicenter of the earthquake.
In the Thai capital, Bangkok, located a thousand kilometers from the epicenter, rescue operations were intensified this Saturday to find workers trapped under the rubble of a collapsed 33-story tower.
The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar announced on Facebook that a 37-member Chinese team arrived in Yangon early Saturday morning, carrying medicine and equipment to search for survivors and detect signs of life.
The Russian news agency TASS reported that Russia would send 120 experienced rescuers, as well as medics and search dogs.
Le président américain Donald Trump said Friday that he had spoken with Myanmar officials and that his administration would provide them with some form of assistance.
Thai authorities announced that nine people were killed and 101 were missing in Bangkok, most of them workers trapped under the rubble of the collapsed tower.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt visited the site of the collapsed tower and said, "We will do everything possible and will not give up on saving lives. We will use all available resources," as excavators cleared debris and drones flew over the ruins searching for survivors.
Life in Bangkok came to a standstill on Friday. Chadchart added that hundreds of people spent the night in the city's parks, but he assured that the situation was improving.
