The death toll from the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on Friday has risen to 2,056, the country’s State Command Information Group said on Monday. The number of injured is more than 3,900, while some 270 people are still missing.

Rescuers – both from inside and outside the country – are racing against time to locate survivors in the rubble left behind by the country’s most devastating earthquake in a century.

Scenes of salvation in the rubble

On Monday morning, four people were pulled alive from the rubble of buildings in Mandalay, the city near the epicenter of the earthquake, according to reports from China‘s Xinhua news agency. Among those rescued were a girl and a pregnant woman, which boosted the morale of the search and rescue teams.

At the same time, in Bangkok, Thailand, where a skyscraper under construction collapsed due to the earthquake, signs of life were found under the rubble. Rescuers have recovered another body, bringing the death toll from the collapse to 12, with a total of 19 dead and 75 missing in Thailand.

Chinese aid and diplomatic appeals

The first batch of humanitarian aid from China arrived in Myanmar on Monday, marking the start of a wider international mobilisation. However, aid distribution and access to affected areas remain difficult due to the ongoing civil conflict.

“Access to all victims is problematic… There are serious security issues, particularly in areas along the confrontation lines,” said International Red Cross Committee Myanmar spokesman Arnaud de Beck.

Guerrilla groups complain that despite the destruction, the military continues to launch airstrikes on villages. Singapore’s foreign minister immediately called for a ceasefire to facilitate relief operations.

Critical hours for the stranded

In Bangkok, trained dogs and detection equipment were deployed to the site of the skyscraper collapse as rescuers desperately tried to reach a spot where signs of life had been detected. “The chances of survival decrease dramatically after 72 hours,” the city’s deputy governor, Tavida Camolvetz, said, adding: “We need to step up. We will not stop, not even after 72 hours.”