A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, leaving devastating destruction and a heartbreaking human toll in its wake. In the city of Mandalay, rescue efforts are underway as citizens bravely dig through the rubble—often with their bare hands—to free those trapped beneath collapsed structures.

"This is a nightmare," one rescuer shared with a BBC correspondent. “People are screaming, ‘Help me! Help me!’ I feel so hopeless,” he continued, witnessing the pain and desperation of those caught in the disaster. Among the survivors is a teacher who recalled hearing the anguished cries of mothers inside a downed hotel, begging for their children who remain trapped. “It’s devastating to watch,” she said, articulating the urgency for external aid. “This earthquake is a total disaster. We need help.”

Reports indicate that at least 144 lives have been lost and over 700 people injured as the full scale of tragedy continues to unfold. Sadly, gathering accurate information has proven challenging amid the ongoing political turmoil and a lack of press freedom that followed the military coup in 2021, which has also hampered international aid efforts.

Witness accounts describe moments of sheer panic as the earthquake struck, sending people into the streets, some bleeding from injuries. The General Hospital in Mandalay quickly reached capacity, as countless victims were rushed in. A survivor described the city's chaos: "It's like a ruined city. Some are still stuck under rubble. I have never seen anything shake like that.”

The tremors were strong enough to be felt beyond Myanmar’s borders, with people in neighboring China and Thailand reporting the earthquake's intensity. Social media flooded with images of devastation, showing ruined buildings and the crumbling remains of the historic royal palace in Mandalay.

In Yangon, where many felt the earthquake, residents reported that the shaking lasted for several minutes. One man shared, “I woke from a nap to my building shaking violently. Friends were messaging, realizing it wasn’t just us but people across the country.”

In Nay Pyi Taw, as the rescue operations continue, authorities have declared a “mass casualty area” at the local hospital. The military junta, facing immense pressure, issued a rare appeal for international assistance, calling for humanitarian aid to the affected regions.

Global aid organizations like Doctors Without Borders (MSF) are struggling to penetrate the hardest-hit areas due to damaged infrastructure and communication blackouts. “The situation is complicated, as crucial roads have been affected,” MSF’s mission head in Myanmar, Federica Franco, explained.

Families are left in distress, trying to connect with loved ones. For instance, a student studying in the UK recounted how she received a panicked call from her mother in Myanmar, expressing that buildings had collapsed all around her, adding, “Moments later, my aunt walked in, crying; she had lost everything.”

As the day unfolds, hope intertwines with grief. Schools are closed as children express fear over the chaos, compounded by intermittent power outages and communication difficulties. One English teacher remarked, “We are just hoping, that is the only thing we can do. We feel out of control.”

This earthquake has left parts of Myanmar unrecognizable, with entire communities facing immense challenges in the days, weeks, and months ahead. As the world looks on, the need for urgent humanitarian help is paramount. Global leaders and rescue organizations are called into action; Myanmar needs solidarity now more than ever.