Myanmar's Military Makes Big Move as Quake Deaths Top 3K

Myanmar's ruling military declared a temporary ceasefire in the country's civil war Wednesday to facilitate relief efforts following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that has killed more than 3,000 people, the AP reports. The surprise announcement by military leaders who also head the unelected government came late Wednesday on state television MRTV, which said the halt in fighting would run until April 22 to show compassion for people affected by Friday's quake. The announcement followed unilateral temporary ceasefires announced by armed resistance groups opposed to military rule, and the military warned that those groups must refrain from attacking the state and regrouping, or else face "necessary" measures. The resistance forces have also reserved the right to fight in self-defense.

Earlier Wednesday, rescuers pulled two men alive from the ruins of a hotel in Myanmar's capital, a third from a guesthouse in another city, and another in the country's second city, Mandalay, five days after the quake. But most teams were finding only bodies. The death toll rose to 3,085 on Thursday, with more than 4,715 people injured, MRTV reported. Local reports suggest much higher figures. The quake worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis due to Myanmar's civil war, sparked after the military seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. More than 3 million people had been displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million were in need even before the quake hit, according to the United Nations. (The US has been notably absent from the aid response.)