What we’re covering
• Powerful quake rocks Myanmar: At least 144 people were killed and more than 730 injured after a 7.7-magnitude quake struck Myanmar near the city of Mandalay, according to the head of the country’s military government. A strong aftershockof 6.4 magnitude also hit Myanmar, with tremors felt across Thailand and in China.
• Buildings collapse in Bangkok: The quake triggered the collapse of buildings hundreds of miles away in Thailand. At least three people have died in the nation’s capital, and authorities are racing to free 81 people believed to be trapped under the rubble of an under-construction high-rise in the city, officials said.
• Disaster response hindered: Myanmar, one of Asia’s poorest nations, is reeling from a civil war sparked by a 2021 military coup. Weak infrastructure makes it ill-equipped to deal with major natural disasters. Swathes of the country are run by a patchwork of militias, making it extremely difficult to gather reliable information. The military also regularly cuts communications in conflict zones.
CNN
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