Myanmar earthquake: Fearing tremors, patients prefer car park over hospital in Mandalay

The situation is so dire that it’s hard to express what is happening,

said Aung Myint Hussein, the chief administrator of Mandalay’s Sajja North mosque

There is currently a shortage of drinking water and electricity. Many of the damaged buildings remain uncleared, and a foul smell has begun to spread in some areas, raising concerns over potential outbreaks of infectious diseases if not properly addressed,

Cheng Wei, a Chinese citizen who runs a hotel in Mandalay, told the Global Times

The earthquake has left local residents with limited access to essential supplies. We want to do what we can to support the local community,

Wu told the Global Times

Donald Trumppresident

It’s a real bad one, and we will be helping. We’ve already spoken with the country,

Donald Trump told reporters on Friday, describing the quake as “terrible”.

Donald Trump has completely blown up the US government’s ability to respond to international disasters. He unilaterally dismantled the pre-eminent aid agency,

Robertson said

A severe shortage of medical supplies is hampering response efforts, including trauma kits, blood bags, anaesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicines, and tents for health workers,

Ocha said in a statement on Saturday

I’ve experienced a lot of incidents, but never been busy like this before,

he said

The airstrikes in the wake of the earthquake are outrageous, yet there are also mind-numbingly cruel reports of curfews being enforced that prevent people conducting search and rescue operations for loved ones after 10pm,

wrote Manny Maung of the Australia-based Lowy Institute

While international rescue teams reportedly arrived in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, the Myanmar military was still attacking its own people."

Manny Maung for the Lowy Institute

The scale of deaths and injuries is not yet fully understood and the numbers are expected to increase,

the WHO said in a report

Even before this earthquake, nearly 20 million people in Myanmar were in need of humanitarian assistance,

said Marcoluigi Corsi, the UNICEF Representative to Myanmar

You have these flooding events...that lead to disease outbreaks, they lead to displacement and food insecurity, but then with damaged hospitals and clearly damaged sanitation systems, it’s really increasing the risk of disease outbreaks,

she added

This latest tragedy compounds an already dire crisis and risks further eroding the resilience of communities already battered by conflict, displacement, and past disasters,

the UN's Myanmar country team said, calling for unimpeded access for aid convoys, medical personnel and assessment teams

The military is conducting security checks everywhere, making it impossible for them to enter,

Dr. Wai Zan said

Really extreme violence was carried out: beheadings, dismemberment and different sorts of violent displays meant to intimidate the population,

said Morgan Michaels, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies

We are not allowed to freely enter and provide assistance,

said U Tin Shwe, a resident of Sagaing who was standing outside a military barricade at a monastery that had toppled, with monks still trapped under the debris

Nothing is really getting there,

said Joe Freeman, Amnesty International’s Myanmar researcher

Many of the people trapped under collapsed houses are already dead,

he said

I have lost everything, my family and my home,

she said

The collapse of a building can come from several factors, from design, construction (and) material specification,

Akanat said