PH Embassy coordinating with Myanmar in identifying quake survivors

The composite team of the Philippine Embassy in Yangon, Myanmar is coordinating with local officials to confirm the identities of rescued individuals after last week’s earthquake.

According to the Philippine Embassy, some of their officials already met with those handling the search and rescue on-site and representatives from the Mandalay General Hospital to identify individuals rescued from the Sky Villa building rubble.

The Embassy added that there is still no update regarding the four Filipinos who remain unaccounted for following the earthquake.

“At this time, no positive identification has been made for any rescued persons or recovered cadavers in connection with the four  Filipinos who are presumed in the rubble,” it said in a statement. 

Aside from this, it said the team has met with 11 other Filipinos who survived the collapse of the villa to gain more information.

“The Embassy remains in close coordination with relevant authorities and is exerting all efforts to ascertain the status of our nationals. Search and retrieval operations are still ongoing,” it said.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday.

Aid groups described scenes of devastation and desperation as the death toll is expected to surpass 3,000, having reached 2,719 as of Tuesday morning, with 4,521 people injured, and 441 missing. —VAL, GMA Integrated News