Mandala was the “city of gold”. Now it falls dead bodies

Mandala was known as the city of gold, scattered with brilliant pagodes and Buddhist mounds, but the air in the former royal capital of Myanmar now remembers the corpses.

According to one resident, so many corpses gathered from an earthquake at 7.7 magnet that they had to be “cremated in stacks”.

The number of earthquakes and a number of thrusts rose for 2,700, with 4521 injured, and hundreds were still missing, said the Myanmar’s military chief. These figures are expected to rise.

Residents of the second largest city in the country say they spent sleepless nights, wandering the streets in despair when food and water supply decreases.

A resident of Mandala, who told about the bodies that were “cremated in stacks”, lost her aunt in the earthquake.

“But her body was stretched only from rubble two days later, on March 30,” said a 23-year-old student who wanted only to be known as J.

Poor infrastructure and civic confrontation greatly hinder the help of Myanmar, where the military has the history of suppression of national catastrophes. The death toll is expected to increase if rescuers have access to more destroyed buildings and cut areas.

J, who lives in the Mandala Mandaungmi area, felt “dizziness of sleeping,” she said.

Many residents live from tents – or nothing – on the streets, fearing that what is left of their homes will not stand against the jolts.

“I saw a lot of people, including I was awarded to the streets and cried on the streets,” J. said.

But there are still survivors in the city. The fire service stated that over the last four days, 403 people have rescued in Mandala and regained 259 bodies. The real number of casualties is believed to be much higher than the official version.

In a television speech on Tuesday, the military chief of Mi AUN Hlaing said the death toll could exceed 3,000, but on Friday, the Geological Service stated that “the number of more than 10,000 killed is a big opportunity” depending on the location and size of the earthquake.

Young children were particularly injured in the disaster.

The local pastor told the BBC that his eight -year -old son suddenly burst into tears several times in the last few days after being witnessed in one instant that the parts of his neighborhood were buried under the rubble.

“He was in the bedroom upstairs when the earthquake struck, and my wife visited his younger sister, so some garbage fell on him,” says Ruat, who only called his name.

“Yesterday we saw the bodies taken out of the destroyed buildings in our area,” said Ruat, who lives in the Piatagon area.

“It’s very sober. Myanmar has suffered from so many disasters, some natural, some human done. Everyone is just tired. We feel hopeless and helpless.”

A monk living near the Sky Villa condominium, one of the worst buildings, an earthquake from 12 to six floors, said the BBC that while some people were extended alive, “only the corpses were restored over the last 24 hours.”

“I hope it will end soon. There are a lot (bodies) still inside, I think more than a hundred,” he said.

Crematoriums, near Mandala, were broken, while the authorities ended with body bags, among other materials, including food and drinking water.

In the whole city, the remains of crushed agreements and golden studs lin the streets. While Mandala was the main center for the production of the gold leaf and the popular tourist destination, poverty in the city has soared in recent years, as in other places of Myanmar (formerly called Burma).

The earthquake last week also touched Thailand and China but its influence was particularly devastating In Myanmar, which was destroyed by the bloody civil war, the crippled economy and the wide disappointment, as the military took power in the coup in 2021.

On Tuesday, Myanmar spent a moment of silence to remember the victims, part of the week of national mourning. The junta urged the flags to fly for six months, the media -story to be stopped and asked people to pay their respects.

More than 3.5 million people were moved before the earthquake in the country.

Thousands still Many of them are young people who fled abroad To avoid forced call, it means that there are fewer people who will help in help and the next recovery of the country.

Russia and China, which helped to raise the military regime of Myanmar, are some of the countries that have sent assistance and specialized support.

But the relief was slow, J. said.

“(Rescue groups) work around the clock for four days, and I think they are a little tired. They need to rest.

“But since the damage was so wide, we have limited resources here, it is simply difficult for helping workers to help effectively manage such large -scale destruction,” she said.

While the junta stated that all the assistance is welcomed, some humanitarian workers report problems with access to earthquake victims.

Local media reported in Sagain, an earthquake epicenter, according to Restrictions imposed by military authorities This requires organizations to submit lists of volunteers and items they want to bring to the area.

Several right -ings groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have called on junta to allow employees to help immediately access these areas.

“Myanmar’s military junta is still fearful, even after a terrible natural disaster that killed and wounded thousands,” said Brini Lau, Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch.

“The junta must get out of his horrific practice and make sure that humanitarian aid quickly reaches those whose life is at risk of earthquakes,” she said.

Hunt also caused criticism for continuing to open fire through the villages, even if the country was burdened by the disaster.