By Staff Reporter
Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates has expressed its sincere condolences and solidarity with Myanmar and Thailand following the powerful earthquake that struck both countries, which resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries.
In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended its sincere condolences to the governments and peoples of Myanmar and Thailand and the families of the victims of this tragedy, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured in both countries.
Over 1000 killed, 2376 injured
Myanmar said the death toll from Friday’s powerful earthquake has risen to more than 1,000, while rescuers in neighbouring Thailand are still searching for dozens of people missing from a collapsed high-rise building in Bangkok.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar, its biggest in a century, also injured more than 2,000 people while 68 are missing, according to the country’s State Administration Council information team.
Authorities in Bangkok said 10 people were killed, 16 were injured and about 101 are missing at three building sites in Bangkok, including the 30-story building that was under construction. At the site of the high-rise alone, more than 80 people remained trapped, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said on Saturday.
The government has declared the quake a level 3 disaster, categorized as major, and is coordinating rescue and relief operations accordingly, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. There were 77 aftershocks as of 6 a.m. Bangkok, according to Thai Meteorological Department, though none were strongly felt in Thailand.
Bangkok city authorities have also ordered safety audit of public and government buildings, Chadchart said. A group of civil engineers will inspect the buildings with authorities and categorize damages into three groups based on the severity.
