Death toll surpasses 1,000 as devastating earthquake strikes Myanmar

The death toll from a massive earthquake in Myanmar has passed 1,000, the ruling junta said on Saturday, with more than 2,000 injured.

A statement from the junta's information team said 1,002 people are known to have died in Friday's shallow 7.7-magnitude quake, with 2,376 injured.

The shallow 7.7-magnitude quake struck northwest of the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar on Friday, causing massive destruction across large parts of the country.

A state of emergency has been declared in six regions, including Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, which was close to the epicentre and where massive destruction has been seen.

A Chinese rescue team arrived on Saturday while Russia and the US offered aid in the disaster that also hit Thailand.

Death toll expected to rise significantly

The junta leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, had warned on Friday of more deaths and injuries as he invited "any country" to provide help and donations.

The most recent update on the death toll stood at over 150 deaths, and the new death toll marks a sharp increase of over 500 deaths.

But communications are patchy, and the true scale of the disaster has yet to emerge, so the death toll is likely to rise significantly.

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Source: TRT