The military junta ruling Myanmar has said that the death toll from Friday’s earthquake has now risen to 2,056 people.
According to available date, more than 3,900 people have been injured, with 270 still missing.
“As we’ve been reporting, it is hard to verify the number of people who have died in the earthquake, but a US Geological Survey said on Friday that “a death toll over 10,000 is a strong possibility” reports showed.
Meanwhile, the government has declared a week of national mourning, saying more than 1,700 people are known to have died in the country.
Flags will fly at half-mast during the period, which will run until 6 April, the news agency AFP reports. As a reminder, Myanmar’s leadership – with Min Aung Hlaing at the helm – rose to power in the country after a coup in February 2021.
The military junta has since carried out a violent crackdown on dissent, detaining civilian leader Aung Sung Kyi. Because of the difficulty reporting from Myanmar, it is hard to verify the number of people who have died in the earthquake, but a US Geological Survey said on Friday that “a death toll over 10,000 is a strong possibility”.
