MANDALAY /Myanmar/, April 1. /TASS/. Russian rescuers are searching for survivors in five locations in Myanmar’s Mandalay, including in the destroyed residential sector, Grigory Korolkov, a rescuer of Russia’s Emergencies Ministry’s State Central Airmobile Rescue Team (Tsentrospas), told reporters.
"A very intense, 7.7 magnitude earthquake would always lead to widespread destruction. We are now conducting our search in five locations. In one of them, there is a person in a basement. The moment we assess all five locations, we will understand what we should begin with," he said.
A powerful earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28. According to various estimates, its magnitude varied between 7.7 and 7.9. The first quake was followed by another one, with magnitude 6.4. The disaster also affected Thailand and tremors were felt in China and Vietnam. Over 2,000 people were killed in Myanmar, and residential buildings and infrastructure facilities sustained damage. The death toll in Bangkok reached 20.
Russia has sent the largest contingent of rescuers to Myanmar.