A pancake-style collapse of several buildings and houses has become a challenge for rescuers in earthquake-ravaged Myanmar.
Officials said a pancake collapse means buildings have landed on other buildings. It would have been easier to rescue trapped people had it been a titled collapse, they added.
Due to the pancake collapse, rescuers are being forced to cut through heavy slabs for hours and lift mounds of rubble through earth movers to look for people who could be alive.
Meanwhile, the stench of death has permeated quake-struck Mandalay, the second-largest city in Myanmar.
The death toll from the initial quake and a series of aftershocks has climbed to 2,719, according to Myanmar’s military chief. The number of injured stands at 4,521, with more than 400 missing. Since over 72 hours have passed, the chances of finding survivors are diminishing every hour.
Locals believe scores of people remain trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Aftershocks in Myanmar
Days after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake devastated the city, a spate of aftershocks have exacerbated the crisis as they are threatening already damaged structures.
{{/usCountry}}Days after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake devastated the city, a spate of aftershocks have exacerbated the crisis as they are threatening already damaged structures.
{{/usCountry}}On Tuesday, another aftershock measuring over 5 magnitude rattled the city at 5.31 pm local time, causing at least half a dozen already damaged buildings to collapse.
Two such buildings collapsed near street 78 of Mandalay as the fresh tremor again sent panic through the streets, where hundreds of families, displaced and desperate, have set up makeshift camps.
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The city is already suffering crippling shortages of medical supplies, food, water and shelter.
“We haven’t dared to sleep in our houses since Friday,” said one local, echoing the sentiments of many who now live in constant fear.
Meanwhile, India's NDRF team is also pressed into the rescue and relief operations. They are using four dogs to sniff signs of life.
India has dispatched a team of 80 NDRF rescuers to its neighbouring country.
The infrastructure and communication channels of several affected cities have been damaged, making rescue and relief operations difficult.
With inputs from PTI