Death toll rises to 1700 in earthquake-hit Myanmar

Officials say that another 3,400 have been injured and more than 300 were missing

MANDALAY: The death toll from the earthquake that hit Myanmar has risen to more than 1,700 as more bodies have been pulled from the rubble, the country’s military-led government said Monday.

Government spokesman Maj Gen Zaw Min Tun told state-run MRTV that another 3,400 have been injured and more than 300 were missing. He did not provide more specific figures.

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The 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit at midday Friday, causing widespread damage, including in the capital Naypitaw and the second largest city, Mandalay. The earthquake, whose epicenter was near Mandalay, brought down scores of buildings and damaged other infrastructure like the city’s airport.

Relief efforts have been hampered by buckled roads, downed bridges, spotty communications and the challenges of operating in a country engaged in a civil war. In neighboring Thailand, the quake rocked much of the country and killed at least 18 people, many at a construction site in Bangkok where a partially built high-rise collapsed.