‘Am I going to survive?’: Myanmar’s quake death toll jumps to more than 1,600

Buddhist monks walk past a collapsed building after a powerful earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, on Saturday. Aung Shine Oo/AP hide caption toggle caption Aung Shine Oo/AP BANGKOK — It was the noise that first alerted Chit Thae Thae Zaw that something might be wrong. On the 5th floor of her university dormitory building, she wasn’t used to the rumbling sound coming from the lower floors. Then, the earthquake began. “I realized there was a problem, and if I didn’t get down soon, I wouldn’t be able to escape anymore,” she said. “I thought, ‘Am I going to survive?’ ” World Photos: See the aftermath of the earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand Chit had experienced quakes in Myanmar before, but never on this scale. The temblor with a magnitude of 7.7, struck at around 12:50 p.m. local time (1:50 a.m. ET) on Friday. It has devastated large areas within Myanmar, and was felt in Thailand and China as well. State-run media reports that the death toll has now risen to over 1,600, with over 3,400 injured inside Myanmar. It is thought the death toll will continue to rise. The map above shows the epicenter of a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar. Phil Holm/AP hide caption toggle caption Phil Holm/AP The quake’s epicenter, roughly 10 miles from the town of Sagaing in central Myanmar, is close to Myanmar’s second most populated city, Mandalay. The damage there and in the surrounding regions has been extensive. Sponsor Message Rushing down to the ground floor, Chit emerged onto the streets of Mandalay, now covered in dust. Videos shared on social media show wreckage on the streets, with multiple buildings collapsed. Another shows the Sagaing bridge, an important connecting point between Mandalay and the rest of Myanmar, destroyed. Asia Over 1,000 people are dead after a major earthquake hit Myanmar Over 1,000 people are dead after a major earthquake hit Myanmar Listen · 3:31 3:31 Transcript Download