Taiwan is willing to send aid, and search and rescue teams to Myanmar and Thailand after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the two countries on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
The ministry said it updated its travel advisory on Friday evening, advising people to avoid traveling to Naypyidaw and Mandalay.
The infrastructure in the two cities sustained heavy damage from the main earthquake, it said.
Photo: Taipei Times
In some areas of the two cities, buildings have collapsed, roads have cracked, and there have been power outages and Internet cuts, it said, adding that access by land and air has been difficult, affecting communications with the outside world.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Myanmar yesterday reported that it reached out to a Taiwanese woman who had been reported missing, and that she was safe, the ministry said.
A hotel a Taiwanese couple was staying at collapsed, it said.
The husband escaped, sustaining mild injuries, and the wife was trapped in the collapsed building with some staff members of the hotel, but they could communicate with people outside, it said, adding that rescue efforts were under way.
Taiwan’s representative offices in Thailand and Myanmar notified the two countries’ governments of the nation’s willingness to send search-and-rescue teams, and the personnel and equipment are ready, it said.
It has been reported that only Yangon International Airport remains available for air traffic in Myanmar, but Mandalay is about 600km from Yangon, and the status of the roads between the two cities is unclear, it said.
Thailand and Myanmar need to clarify the situation in the disaster areas before responding to Taiwan’s offer, it added.
Meanwhile, China Airlines (中華航空) yesterday said that it would ship disaster relief supplies to Thailand and Myanmar free of charge.
The airline in a statement said that it would do its best to assist Taiwanese and other travelers who have been affected, and work with the government and charity organizations to support quake-hit areas.
Additional reporting by CNA
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