THE death toll from the earthquake that hit Myanmar continues to rise as more bodies are pulled from the rubble, the country’s military-led government said today.

Government spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun told MRTV that the death toll was well over 1,700 with another 3,400 injured and more than 300 still unaccounted for.

The 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit around noon on Friday, causing widespread damage, including in the capital Naypitaw and the second largest city, Mandalay.

It was the time of Friday prayers for the country’s Muslim minority during the holy month of Ramadan, and some 700 worshippers were killed when mosques collapsed, said Tun Kyi, a member of the steering committee of the Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Network. 

Videos posted on The Irrawaddy online news site showed several mosques toppling during the quake, and people fleeing from the areas.

In Mandalay, 270 monks were taking a religious exam at the U Hla Thein monastery when the quake hit, crumpling the building.

Rescue workers at the scene Monday said 70 were able to escape, but 50 have already been found dead and 150 are still unaccounted for.

The true number of people killed and injured across the regions hit is thought to be possibly many times the official figures, but with telecommunication outages and extreme challenges to movement around the country, little is known about the damage in many areas.

“We’re really not clear on the scale of the destruction at this stage,” said Lauren Ellery, deputy director of programmes in Myanmar for the International Rescue Committee.

There is a state of emergency in six regions, and Ms Ellery said her teams on the ground and their local partners are currently assessing where needs are the greatest, while providing emergency medical care, humanitarian supplies and other assistance.

International rescue teams from several countries are now on the scene, including from Russia, China, India and several south-east Asian countries.