THE death toll from the massive earthquake that hit Myanmar a week ago rose to 3,085 today, with the military reporting another 4,715 injured and 341 missing.

Last Friday’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake had its epicentre near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. It brought down thousands of buildings, buckled roads and destroyed bridges in multiple regions.

With telecommunications widely knocked out and many places difficult to reach, it’s feared that the number of deaths could rise sharply as more information comes in.

Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has turned into a civil war.

The quake worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis, with more than three million people displaced and nearly 20 million in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations.

Amid growing fears that the fighting could hamper humanitarian aid efforts, the military declared a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday, due to last until April 22. The announcement followed declarations of unilateral temporary ceasefires by rebel groups.

In the Thai capital Bangkok, where the quake brought down a skyscraper under construction, the search for survivors and bodies continued and Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said a possible sound of life had been detected from under the rubble.

Twenty-two people were killed and 35 injured in the city.