Myanmar Quake Death Toll Tops 2,000 as Help is Slow for War-Torn Sagaing - The New York Times
As deaths mount, some volunteers complained of being blocked by Myanmar’s military from reaching a rebel stronghold that was badly hit. By Sui-Lee Wee Reporting from Bangkok Three days after Myanmar’s worst earthquake in more than a century ravaged the remote, war-torn city of Sagaing, razing monasteries and apartment buildings, help was still just starting to trickle in. The city’s 300,000 residents had been left to largely fend for themselves after the 7.7-magnitude quake struck, damaging roads and prompting the authorities to close a bridge over safety concerns. The area was already deeply isolated, cut off from the internet by Myanmar’s military, which has been fighting rebels in a civil war. By late Monday, some international aid groups began arriving in Sagaing. But local volunteers seeking to help with search and rescue efforts said they were being blocked by the military. “We are not allowed to freely enter and provide assistance,” said U Tin Shwe, a resident of Sagaing who was
As deaths mount, some volunteers complained of being blocked by Myanmar’s military from reaching a rebel stronghold that was badly hit. By Sui-Lee Wee Reporting from Bangkok Three days after Myanmar’s worst earthquake in more than a century ravaged the remote, war-torn city of Sagaing, razing monasteries and apartment buildings, help was still just starting to trickle in. The city’s 300,000 residents had been left to largely fend for themselves after the 7.7-magnitude quake struck, damaging roads and prompting the authorities to close a bridge over safety concerns. The area was already deeply
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