UPDATE - Myanmar earthquake death toll jumps to 1,000 with over 2,300 injured

Search, rescue operations continuing in effected areas as international aid also arrives

UPDATES DEATH TOLL, INJURIES; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Efe Ozkan and Islamuddin Sajid

ISTANBUL / ISLAMABAD (AA) – The death toll from devastating earthquakes in Myanmar has risen to 1,000 with over 2,300 injured, state media reported Saturday.

According to MRTV, the toll comes in at 1,002 killed, 2,376 injured, and 30 missing across the country.

International aid and rescue efforts continue to ramp up as Myanmar and Thailand recover from Friday’s devastating quakes.

Teams aboard a China Eastern Airlines plane reached Myanmar to deliver crucial aid, according to a statement. “At 8:35 am Saturday, China Eastern Airlines flight MU9003 arrived at Yangon International Airport, carrying 37 Chinese rescuers and 5 tons of medical supplies, tents, blankets and other relief materials,” it said.

India also delivered 15 tons of relief material, including tents, sleeping bags, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, water purifiers, hygiene kits, medicines, and medical equipment.

Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry dispatched two aircraft including 120 specialists, anesthesiologists, and psychologists, K9 search units, and rescue personnel to assist in recovery efforts, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The UN also allocated an emergency $5 million fund to Myanmar for earthquake aid while determining additional needs and coordinating the response, according to a UN spokesman.

In addition, authorities in neighboring Thailand said 11 provinces were affected, with eight dead and 101 missing after a skyscraper in Bangkok collapsed.

At least 50 mosques across Myanmar collapsed during Friday prayers, killing nearly 300, according to Khit Thit News.

Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, and other nations expressed solidarity and offered aid to Myanmar, which is also engulfed in internal ethnic conflicts.

Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s junta ruler, visited affected areas in the Mandalay region and inspected measures taken to rescue people, state-run MRTV said via Telegram.

The junta, in a rare move, appealed to the international community for humanitarian aid.

A strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Friday with its epicenter in Myanmar's Sagaing region.

The first jolt was followed by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake 12 minutes later, according to the US Geological Survey.

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