The death toll from the devastating earthquake in Myanmar has surpassed 3,000, with hundreds still missing, as forecasts of unseasonal rainfall present a new challenge for rescuers and humanitarian workers.
The magnitude 7.7 earthquake, one of the strongest to hit Southeast Asia in this century, struck Myanmar six days ago, shaking a region home to 28 million people. The quake has caused widespread destruction, leveling buildings, flattening communities, and leaving many without food, water, or shelter, according to Reuters.
As of Wednesday, the death toll has risen to 3,003, with 4,515 injured and 351 still missing, according to a Facebook post from Myanmar’s embassy in Japan.
Conditions are expected to worsen as unseasonal rain, predicted to fall from Sunday to April 11, may further affect the areas hardest hit by the earthquake, such as Mandalay, Sagaing, and the capital Naypyidaw.
“The rain is coming, and there are still so many trapped,” said a humanitarian worker in Myanmar to Reuters. “Especially in Mandalay, if the rain starts, those trapped under the debris could drown even if they have survived up to this point.”
