Myanmar hospital struggles to treat hundreds after 7.7M quake disaster
In the Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw, the 1,000-bed hospital struggled to handle the massive influx of casualties
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday (28 March), leaving hundreds injured and causing widespread devastation. The quake, which hit northwest of Sagaing, sent tremors as far as Thailand and China, causing buildings to collapse and roads to buckle.
In the Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw, the 1,000-bed hospital struggled to handle the massive influx of casualties. Rows of wounded victims lay outside the emergency department, some writhing in pain, others in shock, covered in dust and blood, reports the Bangkok Post.
"This is a mass casualty area," a hospital official said, as medical staff worked urgently to treat the injured. Some victims arrived in cars and pickup trucks, while others were carried on stretchers.
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"Many injured people have been arriving, I haven't seen anything like this before," a doctor at the hospital told AFP.
"We are trying to handle the situation. I'm so exhausted."
Some cried in pain, others lay still as relatives sought to comfort them, intravenous drips hanging from their arms.
"Hundreds of injured people are arriving... but the emergency building here also collapsed," security officials at the hospital said.
Others sat stunned with their head in their hands, blood caking their faces and limbs.
Myanmar's military chief Min Aung Hlaing visited the hospital to assess the situation, observing the wounded lying on stretchers, many crying in pain.
'Help me'
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the 7.7-magnitude earthquake was followed by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock minutes later.
Nay Pyi Taw, located 250 kilometres south of the epicentre, felt violent tremors.
A team of AFP journalists were at the National Museum in Nay Pyi Taw when the earthquake struck, with chunks of the ceiling falling and cracks running up the walls..
Roads leading to hospitals were jammed with traffic as ambulances and paramedics struggled to navigate through panicked crowds. People fled buildings, trembling and tearful, frantically calling their loved ones to check if they were safe.
The earthquake's impact extended beyond Myanmar. In Thailand, buildings in Bangkok shook violently, causing panic among residents.
Pol Lt Col Worapat Sukthai, deputy police chief of Bangkok's Bang Sue district, described the chaos following the collapse of a 30-story under-construction tower in the city.
"I heard people calling for help, saying 'help me'," he told AFP. "We estimate that hundreds of people are injured, but we are still determining the number of casualties. I fear many lives have been lost."
Shocked Bangkok residents described their fear. Attapong Sukyimnoi, a broker, said, "I was shopping inside a mall when I noticed signs moving, so I quickly ran outside. I knew I had to get to an open space—it was instinct."
Emergency response teams are working tirelessly in Myanmar and neighbouring countries to assess the full extent of the damage.
The number of casualties is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue.
