Efforts to locate survivors escalated in Myanmar and Thailand as rescue teams worked tirelessly three days after a catastrophic earthquake struck Southeast Asia, claiming over 2,000 lives. In Mandalay, Myanmar’s central city near the quake’s epicenter, emergency crews successfully pulled four survivors—including a pregnant woman and a young girl—from the wreckage of collapsed buildings. Meanwhile, in Bangkok, rescue workers detected signs of life in the ruins of a devastated skyscraper, sparking renewed urgency in search operations.

Dramatic footage from Mandalay revealed Chinese rescue teams carrying a survivor wrapped in a thermal blanket through heaps of concrete and metal. Aerial drone images displayed a multi-story building crushed into layers of debris, though many of the city’s golden temples remained miraculously intact. One survivor, after being rescued from the ruins of his restaurant, rented a bulldozer with his own money in a desperate attempt to recover the body of a missing employee and secure the building for his neighbors.

Rescue efforts in Myanmar have been significantly hampered by the country’s ongoing civil war. The military junta, which seized power in 2021, continues to launch airstrikes, further complicating access to affected areas. Arnaud de Baecque of the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that security concerns are obstructing relief operations, especially in conflict zones. Meanwhile, a rebel group accused the military of continuing attacks on villages even after the disaster. In response, Singapore’s foreign minister urged an immediate ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian aid.

In Bangkok, search teams deployed scanning equipment and sniffer dogs to comb through the ruins of a collapsed high-rise. Bangkok’s Deputy Governor Tavida Kamolvej emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that survival chances drop significantly after 72 hours. "We must act fast. We won’t stop even after the 72-hour mark," she stated. Investigations into the collapse revealed that some steel samples from the building were substandard, prompting the Thai government to launch a broader inquiry into the structural failures.

Myanmar's state media reported that the death toll had climbed to 2,065, with over 3,900 injured and 270 still missing. The military government has declared a week-long mourning period. Conflicting reports have emerged, with The Wall Street Journal citing the junta's estimate of 2,028 deaths, while the opposition National Unity Government placed the toll at 2,418. Meanwhile, Chinese state media confirmed that at least three Chinese nationals were among the deceased. Due to restricted media access, independent verification of the numbers remains challenging.

Junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing has warned that the death toll is likely to rise as more bodies are recovered from the rubble. With rescue teams racing against time and political instability hindering efforts, the full scale of the devastation remains uncertain.