Click to view full size
A massive earthquake that rocked Myanmar could exacerbate hunger and disease outbreaks in a country already wracked by food shortages, mass displacement and civil war, aid groups and the United Nations warned Monday. The official death toll climbed past 1,700, but the true figure is feared to be much higher.
The 7.7 magnitude quake hit Friday, with an epicenter near Myanmar’s second-largest city of Mandalay, damaging the city’s airport, buckling roads and downing hundreds of buildings along a wide swath of territory down the middle of the country.
Some 270 monks were taking an exam in Mandalay’s U Hla Thein monastery, which crumpled to the ground when the quake struck.
The portable companion to gazettE. Get notifications, track read articles, and more. The latest news from Trinidad and Tobago, in one place.
Related stories
See articles related to "Earthquake compounds humanitarian crisis in Myanmar as death toll passes 1,700"