UN: Myanmar military is attacking groups near quake epicentre

Newshour

BBC

News, Daily News

4.4 • 984 Ratings

🗓️ 29 March 2025

⏱️ 46 minutes

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Summary

At least 1,600 people have died in the earthquake in Myanmar. Meanwhile, the UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar has condemned the military government's continued attacks in areas controlled by ethnic rebel groups. Tom Andrews told Newshour at least three airstrikes were carried out in the Sagaing region - the epicentre of the quake and a rebel stronghold. He called on the ruling junta to stop. Also in the programme: Hundreds of thousands of Turks have attended a rally in Istanbul in support of the city's jailed former mayor; and why did a Polish presidential candidate appear on TV in disguise? (Photo: Rescue personnel work at the site of a building that collapsed, following a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 29, 2025. Credit: Reuters)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Newsour from the World Service of the BBC coming to you live from London.
0:09.7	This is Owen Bennett-Jones.
0:11.9	The death toll from the earthquake in Myanmar is already up to 1,600 people,
0:17.7	and that number is expected to rise quite sharply probably as more information comes out.
0:24.2	It is hard to get a clear picture of what's happening in the worst-hit areas, and there are a number of reasons for that.
0:30.7	There is a civil war. Communications are, for the large part down. Occasionally, as you'll hear, we do get some voice notes out.
0:38.3	The ability of journalists to do their job is also an issue.
0:42.3	Reporters without borders says reporters there face the risk of torture, arrest or murder.
0:47.9	So obviously are very cautious in what they say.
0:51.0	Mandalay is the hardest hit city in Myanmar. This resident described the moment the earthquake struck.
1:01.6	I feel so sorry to see this situation. All the pagodas and temples, including stairways in my village, have collapsed. We've lost everything. I feel so sad to see this kind of
1:12.5	sorrowful situation. Up until now, I've never experienced anything similar to this. And in neighbouring
1:19.6	Thailand, 11 people are known to have died and at least 50 construction workers are still
1:24.5	missing. That's because they were actually working on a building so it wasn't secure and then it collapsed. But there was some good news and this is a remarkable
1:32.4	bit of tape. What a way to start her life. A Thai woman went into labour just as the earthquake hit
1:38.5	and both she and the baby survived. She described what happened.
1:53.4	Luckily, I was on the fifth floor. The medical staff were holding both my arms as we made our way down the stairs.
1:58.9	The doctor kept saying, it's all right. The hospital staff did very well in evacuating us.
2:03.0	They did their best. I was telling my baby, don't come yet,
2:08.9	but the pain kept growing and growing. Then I was put on a hospital bed and was surrounded by a lot of medical staff where I just gave birth right there and then. It was all a shock to me too. Once my baby
2:17.3	was born, the ground stopped shaking. I felt great. I saw my child and the earthquake stopped. I'm so impressed and happy by how the hospital took care of me.
2:28.8	Lucky baby, happy mum. Well, the first emergency response teams have arrived in Myanmar now, and the UN is
	...

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