Aftershock kills two in Mandalay

A father and son were killed in Mandalay on Saturday when a 5.7-magnitude tremor caused a tree to fall on their temporary dwelling on a monastery compound, locals and emergency responders said. The tremor, a likely aftershock from the devastating, 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit central Myanmar on March 28 of this year, had a magnitude of 5.7 and was centred in Myittha, some 30 miles south of Mandalay. The incident took place at the Abhyarama Shwegu Monastery in Sein Pan ward—part of Mandalay’s Maha Aungmyay Township—which has been sheltering large numbers of people displaced by the March quake. Following a heavy rainstorm that occurred on the same day, a large lebbeck tree with a height of more than 40 feet was uprooted and fell on the refugees’ temporary shelter, killing the displaced people inside. According to Mandalay’s reserve fire brigade, several buildings in the city sustained damage from the aftershock. They described seeing cracks in walls and concrete pillars leaning after being shaken from their foundations. Civilians impacted by the March earthquake continue to face severe hardship some six weeks after the disaster, according to aid workers and residents of the city. The earthquake devastated the cities of Mandalay and Sagaing as well as some other areas of central Myanmar, leaving more than 3,700 dead and destroying more than 67,000 homes and other buildings according to official figures. Most earthquake survivors in Mandalay who lost their homes lack the means to rebuild them or buy new houses. They are still staying in displacement camps, largely set up on football fields or the grounds of monasteries and schools. According to city residents, the houses and buildings damaged in the earthquake are now being demolished, cleared, or repaired. The military council issued an order on May 10 directing that properties with destroyed structures or debris be covered for reasons of appearance. The order also announced a suspension of construction activities and a requirement of prior authorisation for any reconstruction, and warned that noncompliance would be penalised. “Many buildings that pose a safety hazard are still untouched despite the known risks, as demolition efforts have stalled. The municipal authorities seem unable to cope, and it’s unclear how they are setting priorities for demolition,” a man living in Maha Aungmyay Township said. “These rules have made it harder for people to rebuild on their own, with requirements like obtaining approval and covering up damaged structures for the sake of appearance,” he added. “It’s creating unnecessary obstacles.” Life for displaced survivors A woman staying in a camp for displaced people told Myanmar Now that assistance seldom reaches them. “People listed by the junta and housed in their official camps receive more assistance than those of us living in improvised shelters set up by the wards,” she explained. “The situation in these self-made shelters is much more desperate.” “It would be better if donors and officials delivered support directly,” she added. “Although assistance is being provided, its distribution is mismanaged.” Survivors still fear the danger of aftershocks in addition to these daily hardships. “The aftershocks have been getting stronger. When they return after three or four days of calm, they feel more intense,” said the man living in Maha Aungmyay. “This has us all seriously worried about the possibility of another major quake.” Others noted the inadequacy of the authorities’ response to the quake. “Clearance work in residential areas has yet to begin, with many damaged homes left untouched due to the high cost of removal, which residents cannot afford on their own,” said a woman volunteering to assist victims in Mandalay. “With demolition, clearing, and repairs still out of reach for many, some residents remain in displacement camps, while others have no choice but to stay in structurally unsafe homes despite the risks,” she added. “They’re also struggling with shelter, food, and maintaining their livelihoods. Some businesses have shut down entirely, leaving both owners and their employees in a difficult situation.” According to the military junta, in addition to the deaths and destruction of homes, the March 28 earthquake damaged some 6,400 schools and 350 healthcare facilities. The present military regime’s response to the disaster has prompted comparisons to the previous dictatorship’s negligence in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis in 2008, which caused widespread destruction and caused more than 100,000 deaths in Myanmar. Despite the disastrous death toll and hardships endured by survivors, the ruling junta’s generals chose at the time to proceed with a constitutional referendum to approve a new, military-drafted constitution less than four weeks after the storm made landfall. The current regime has similarly prioritised going through with plans for a general election in an apparent bid to legitimise their power, scheduled for the end of this year.

Aftershock kills two in Mandalay

Limited aid, restrictions on rebuilding, and the fear of aftershocks are causing survivors ongoing hardship more than seven weeks after March’s devastating earthquake

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