By Francesca Merlo
Pope Francis has expressed his closeness to the populations of Myanmar and Thailand, struck by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Friday. In a telegram sent on Friday, the Pope expressed his sorrow at the loss of life and widespread devastation.
The Pope offered heartfelt prayers for the souls of the deceased and assured his spiritual closeness to all affected by this tragedy.
His thoughts also went to all emergency personnel, whom, he prayed, “may be sustained in their care of the injured and displaced by the divine gifts of fortitude and perseverance.”
Dire humanitarian needs
Aid agencies are struggling to assess the devastating humanitarian needs. Measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale, the quake struck around noon local time (06:00 GMT), with four smaller aftershocks, ranging from 4.5 to 6.6 in magnitude, following closely behind.
The situation remains dire, with the full extent of the damage still unclear. Myanmar, under the control of a military junta, has long suffered from challenging communication and information access.
While the death toll has not yet been confirmed, rescue workers in the country have described the damage as “enormous,” citing that casualties would most likely be in the hundreds.
A major hospital in Naypyidaw has been declared a “mass casualty area,” with hundreds of wounded people being treated outside the building. Myanmar’s government has said that blood is in high demand in the hardest-hit areas.
In response to the disaster, a state of emergency has been declared in six regions. Disturbing images from the area are filling the web, showing severe damage to buildings and infrastructure, including a video capturing the collapse of a large bridge. The exact reach of the quake’s impact remains uncertain, but it is clear that the humanitarian toll is substantial.
Consequences in Thailand
The tremors were also felt in neighbouring Thailand. In Bangkok, three construction workers were killed, and dozens more were injured when an unfinished high-rise building collapsed.
Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister announced that 81 people are trapped under the rubble. Bangkok, too, has been declared a disaster area.
An already unstable situation
The crisis comes at a time when Myanmar is already grappling with widespread displacement, with over three million people internally displaced and more than a third of the population in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
The earthquake’s epicentre lies in central Myanmar, a region deeply entrenched in ongoing conflict. The added strain of the quake will make the delivery of aid even more complicated.
According to Chinese media reports, the earthquakes were also felt in the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, causing injuries and damage to houses in the city of Ruili on the border with northern Myanmar. Cambodia, Bangladesh, and India also reported tremors.
Prayers as the tragedy unfolds
As prayers begin to come in from Pope Francis and the faithful all over the world, the international community watches closely as the news unfolds. Local and humanitarian efforts are working as best as possible to minimise the scale of the tragedy and save as many lives as possible. – Vatican News
