Greater than 700 Muslims killed in Myanmar earthquake, which struck throughout Friday prayers

MANDALAY, MYANMAR: A Myanmar Muslim group says greater than 700 worshipers had been killed when the 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the nation at Friday prayer time in the course of the holy month of Ramadan.
Tun Kyi, a member of the steering committee of the Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Community, mentioned Monday that some 60 mosques had been broken or destroyed when the 7.7 magnitude quake hit close to Mandalay, the nation’s second largest metropolis.
It was not instantly clear whether or not these killed within the mosques had been included within the official toll of greater than 1,700 folks killed within the earthquake up to now.
Movies posted on The Irrawaddy on-line information website confirmed a number of mosques toppling in the course of the quake, and other people fleeing from the areas.
Tun Kyi mentioned a lot of the mosques broken had been older buildings extra weak to earthquakes.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows beneath.
MANDALAY, Myanmar (AP) – The demise toll from the earthquake that hit Myanmar has risen to greater than 1,700 as extra our bodies have been pulled from the rubble, the nation’s military-led authorities mentioned Monday.
Authorities spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun advised state-run MRTV that one other 3,400 have been injured and greater than 300 had been lacking.
He didn’t present extra particular figures.
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit at noon Friday, inflicting widespread harm, together with within the capital Naypitaw and the second largest metropolis, Mandalay.
The earthquake, whose epicenter was close to Mandalay, introduced down scores of buildings and broken different infrastructure like the town’s airport.
Aid efforts have been hampered by buckled roads, downed bridges, spotty communications and the challenges of working in a rustic engaged in a civil conflict.
In neighboring Thailand, the quake rocked a lot of the nation and killed not less than 18 folks, many at a building website in Bangkok the place {a partially} constructed high-rise collapsed.