Myanmar quake death toll exceeds 3500

The military junta in power in Myanmar says more than 3500 people died in the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck the impoverished country more than a week ago.

The quake killed 3514 people, left 4809 injured, while 210 remain missing, according to The Global New Light of Myanmar, a newspaper controlled by the military regime since the February 2021 coup.

The powerful earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28, with its epicentre between the cities of Sagaing and Mandalay, in the north-central region of the country.

The United Nations estimates some 17 million people have been affected by the earthquake, including nine million particularly affected near the epicentre.

Emergency efforts continued on Monday, with the support of rescue teams sent by Russia, China, India, and Belarus.

Self-proclaimed prime minister, coupmaker General Min Aung Hlaing, visited devastated areas of Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, on Sunday, where he thanked international teams for their assistance, according to official media reports.

Myanmar finds itself isolated from the international community following the military uprising and the violent repression of unarmed protesters who initially opposed the coup.

Only a few countries, such as Russia, its main arms supplier, and China, which has investments in the country, maintain diplomatic relations with the military junta.

The armed conflict fuelled by the military's uprising against opposition groups and ethnic guerrillas is hampering the distribution of humanitarian aid in some of the most affected areas, according to the United Nations.

Meanwhile, pro-democracy groups denounce that the military junta is hindering the delivery of emergency supplies to opposition-controlled areas.