HK rescuers work through night in quake-hit Mandalay, Myanmar

The SAR-dispatched search and rescue team to Myanmar conducted overnight operations after arriving in Mandalay on Monday.

After coordinating with other rescue teams, they conducted on-site assessments and rapid searches in the city’s two quake-stricken areas, Chan Aye Thar San and Mahar Aung Myay.

The Fire Services Department shared photos on social media of the rescue team in action. They are using survivor search instruments, drones, electric rotary hammers, concrete cutting tools, and advanced equipment to enhance rescue efficiency. 

Acting Assistant Divisional Officer Rocky Ng Wai-nok, also a rescue member, stressed that the team will continue searching day and night, leaving no opportunity to find survivors unturned.

The Security Bureau and Fire Services Department reported that the 51-strong team sent an 11-person squad to assist in the aftermath of a severely collapsed building near the Mandalay Palace.

The squad is utilizing technical search tools and explosives to create access for search and rescue operations. The efforts have been ongoing overnight and continue to progress.

The authorities posted a video earlier showing footage from the disaster site. In the video, a rescue team member said they arrived in Mandalay on Monday morning and divided the team into Group A and Group B to reach the affected areas for rescue operations.

They first deployed drones and gathered information from residents to determine if there were any survivors or if additional rescue assistance was needed. 

The rescue member indicated a significant amount of debris at the site, creating dust during operations.

The buildings were constructed with asbestos roofing, and inhaling the dust could cause chronic lung diseases like asbestosis. To mitigate this risk, most rescue team members wore N95 masks and took precautions to prevent dust inhalation and secondary injuries.

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28, causing tremors felt in neighboring Thailand and Yunnan province. So far, the death toll in Myanmar has risen to over 2,000, and China’s state media reported that three Chinese nationals are among the dead.

In response, the SAR government deployed the team to the affected areas on March 29. After arriving in Naypyitaw, Myanmar’s capital, on March 30, the team met with diplomats from the Chinese embassy and was instructed by Myanmar authorities to proceed to Mandalay, another heavily impacted city.

The team set off overnight but paused their journey due to a nighttime curfew. The Security Bureau stated that the team arrived before 11am local time, met with the national rescue team for a briefing on the disaster, and set up their operational base alongside them.

Along the way, the team observed many collapsed houses and saw disaster victims setting up temporary tents in open areas.

(Cheng Wong)