Hanoi (VNA) – International rescue teams and aid continue to arrive in Myanmar's Mandalay as the search for survivors enters its third day.
On March 31, Indonesia deployed a hospital ship, three Hercules aircraft, and four helicopters with search-and-rescue personnel, medical teams, and logistics support.
Thailand sent 55 military personnel, including 18 doctors and a search-and-rescue team, along with aid on March 30. This is part of a 1,000-troop deployment, with further flights scheduled for April 2 and 5.
Also on March 30, India sent two naval ships with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) capabilities, carrying 52 tonnes of emergency supplies, including water, food, medicine, and clothing, from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Yangon. These join two vessels that left a day earlier with 20 tonnes of relief materials. Indian army field hospitals have also been deployed to provide immediate medical assistance to the injured in Mandalay, the hardest-hit city.
China’s first batch of emergency supplies, including tents, blankets, and first-aid kits, was dispatched from Beijing on March 31, according to the China International Development Cooperation Agency.
Rescue teams are racing against time, as over 300 people remain missing as of March 30. The quake has claimed about 1,700 lives and injured 3,400. On the morning of March 31, at least four survivors were pulled from the rubble in Mandalay and Naypyidaw.
Rescue efforts face challenges due to equipment shortages and ongoing aftershocks. Myanmar’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology recorded 36 aftershocks, ranging from magnitude 2.8 to 7.5, as of March 31./.
