Mandalay (Myanmar): Around 700 Muslim worshippers were killed when mosques collapsed during Friday prayers as a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar during the holy month of Ramadan, a Myanmar Muslim leader said.
Tun Kyi, a member of the Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Network’s steering committee, said about 60 mosques were damaged or destroyed in the quake, which hit near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city.
It was unclear whether those killed inside the mosques were included in the official death toll, which has surpassed 1,700, according to the country’s military-led government.
Videos published by The Irrawaddy news site showed mosques toppling as the earthquake struck, with worshippers fleeing for safety. Tun Kyi said many of the damaged mosques were older buildings, making them more vulnerable to collapse.
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The true number of people killed and injured across the regions hit is thought to be possibly many times the official figures, but with telecommunication outages and extreme challenges to movement around the country, little is known about the damage in many areas.
“We’re really not clear on the scale of the destruction at this stage,” Lauren Ellery, deputy director of programs in Myanmar for the International Rescue Committee said.
There is a state of emergency in six regions, and Ellery said her teams on the ground and their local partners are currently assessing where needs are the greatest, while providing emergency medical care, humanitarian supplies and other assistance.
PNN & Agencies
