Myanmar leader heads to Bangkok as quake deaths climb to 3,000

Myanmar's junta main Min Aung Hlaing is successful Thailand for a determination summit as his state reels from an earthquake that killed thousands and near cities successful ruins.

The earthquake successful cardinal Myanmar past Friday killed 3,085 radical and injured 4,715, the junta has said. Hundreds much are missing and the toll is expected to rise.

Min Aung Hlaing arrived successful Bangkok connected Thursday, according to AFP, on the eve of a acme that volition stitchery leaders of the 7 countries that borderline the Bay of Bengal.

His attendance, which was earlier confirmed by a spokesperson for the Myanmar army, volition beryllium antithetic arsenic sanctioned leaders are typically barred from these events.

Host Thailand, wherever the earthquake was felt and killed 21 people, has projected that the leaders contented a associated connection connected the disaster. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka are besides portion of the summit.

In Myanmar, galore earthquake-hit areas person yet to beryllium reached by authorities, meaning the decease toll figures are improbable to beryllium accurate.

Countries astir the satellite person sent assistance and rescue teams to Myanmar since the quake, but mediocre infrastructure and an ongoing civilian warfare has analyzable alleviation efforts.

The junta announced a impermanent ceasefire precocious connected Wednesday to expedite these efforts, aft earlier rejecting proposals from equipped taste rebel groups.

Before this, the subject had continued its airstrikes successful rebel-held areas, including those severely deed by the earthquake.

On Tuesday night, troops opened occurrence astatine a Chinese Red Cross convoy carrying alleviation supplies. The junta said the troops fired aft the convoy refused to halt contempt being signalled to bash so.

Min Aung Hlaing is besides expected talk to Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra connected the sidelines of the gathering successful Bangkok, according to a Thai overseas ministry spokesperson.

Myanmar has been gripped by a bloody civilian warfare since the subject seized powerfulness successful 2021, which led to the emergence of an equipped absorption that has been warring alongside equipped taste groups, immoderate of which person been warring the subject for decades.

Years of unit person crippled the economy, supercharged inflation, and plunged the state into a humanitarian crisis.

Now, the earthquake has worsened the crisis. Humanitarian groups person urged the junta to assistance immoderate remaining obstructions to aid.

The UN has besides urged the planetary assemblage to ramp up assistance earlier the monsoon play hits successful astir a month.