Survivors of the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar have shared harrowing accounts of being trapped under rubble for hours, waiting in darkness for rescuers to reach them. The powerful quake, which struck the central Sagaing region, has killed more than 2,000 people and left many more injured or missing. As rescue operations continue, heart-wrenching stories of survival and loss are emerging from the worst-hit areas.
Among those pulled from the debris were two teenage girls and their grandmother, who were trapped under their collapsed home. In a desperate bid to be found, they banged on broken concrete with a butter knife and called for help. After an agonising 15-hour wait, rescuers finally managed to free them.
‘Trapped in total darkness’
Two women, who had been staying at a hotel in Mandalay when the earthquake struck, described their terrifying ordeal. “We were trapped in total darkness, but the good thing is we had a phone, and we could use its light to see. If we didn’t have that, we could have died,” one of the women told CNN. They waited five hours before being pulled to safety, clearing rubble from on top of each other as they sat crouched beneath the wreckage.
In Mandalay, where the devastation has been immense, rescue teams have worked tirelessly to free those buried under collapsed buildings. One rescue officer described the tragic loss of more than 160 monks who had been about to take an exam at the U Hla Thein office when the building came down. “There was only one exit in the room. Just as they flocked to the exit, the building collapsed, which killed them,” the officer said.
‘Children cried, screamed in fear’
A father in the eastern Shan state described the chaos as the quake struck. “Children and the elderly experienced severe dizziness and fainting… The earthquake was incredibly strong, and we were all in shock. Young children cried and screamed in fear,” he told CNN. Aid agencies have warned of an urgent need for food and water, with thousands of people forced to sleep in the open due to damaged homes or fear of aftershocks.
In Mandalay, a 12-storey apartment block collapsed, trapping scores of residents. A woman was pulled alive from the wreckage after 30 hours, but many more are feared still inside. Nearby, in another township, 12 preschool children and a teacher were found dead under a collapsed kindergarten.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by a lack of equipment, power outages, and communication failures. Many survivors have had to rely on locals, who have been digging through the rubble with their bare hands. “We can only rescue people when we hear them,” one worker said. A resident of Mandalay described the chaos, saying, “There is no coordination in the rescue efforts, no one to lead them, or tell them what to do. Locals have had to fend for themselves.”
In the early hours of Monday, there was a moment of relief when a woman was pulled from the rubble of the Great Wall Hotel in Mandalay after a five-hour operation. A video showed onlookers clapping as she was carried away on a stretcher. She was reported to be in stable condition.
Across the country, bridges, roads, and communication networks have been destroyed, making access to remote areas nearly impossible. The bridge over the Irrawaddy River near Mandalay has collapsed, cutting off a vital route for rescue teams. “Right now, there are not enough people even for emergency rescue. We can’t pick up bodies, there are so many people trapped,” a local resident said.
