More than a week after a powerful 7.9-magnitude earthquake devastated central Myanmar, Mandalay, the hardest-hit region, is showing signs of recovery featuring business reopening and relocation of affected residents.
Amid continued search and rescue operations, businesses are gradually reopening. A grocery store has seen doubling of customers since reopening on April 1. Essential supplies, including food, beverages and personal care items, are largely back to pre-earthquake levels, with residents preferring necessities like toiletries and non-perishable foods such as bread and noodles.
Other businesses such as fruit stands and barber shops are also welcoming customers back.
Despite progress in continued search and rescue and business reopening, significant challenges remain for many residents. In a neighborhood west of Mandalay, dozens of homes were damaged, forcing residents to sleep outside and even seek new shelters due to recent thunderstorms.
With the support of Chinese rescue teams, two temporary relocation sites, set up in local sports venues, opened on Sunday. Equipped with 160 tents, these sites will provide shelter for over 600 displaced residents.
Over the past few days, Chinese structural experts have assessed nearly 900 buildings in Mandalay to ensure safety. Besides, a third batch of Chinese humanitarian aid, including tents, family relief kits, folding beds and blankets, totaling nearly 5,000 items, arrived in Myanmar on Saturday.
A local volunteer expressed gratitude to the relief efforts and rescue operations carried out by Chinese search and rescue teams since the earthquake struck on March 28.
"They [the Chinese rescue teams] are always on standby. Whenever there's any news [on the aftermath of the earthquake], they will respond quickly. We are very grateful. Their arrival gives us hope. I want to show them our homes once they are rebuilt," she said.
The death toll from Myanmar's earthquake reached 3,564 as of Sunday evening, the Information Team of Myanmar's State Administration Council reported. In addition, 5,012 people were injured and 210 remained missing due to the earthquake.
Myanmar's Mandalay shows signs of recovery after devastating earthquake
