Myanmar earthquake toll crosses 3,000; heat and rains fuel disease risk

A mother holds up her child as she stands on a roadside waiting for a donation of relief supplies following a strong earthquake near its epicenter, in Sagaing, Myanmar, April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Extreme heat and heavy rain in Myanmar could cause disease outbreaks among earthquake survivors camping in the open, global aid bodies warned on Thursday, complicating rescue efforts made difficult by a civil war, as the death toll surpassed 3,000.

Last Friday's 7.7-magnitude quake, one of Myanmar's strongest in a century, jolted a region home to 28 million, toppling buildings such as hospitals, flattening communities and leaving many without food, water and shelter.