‘No one came’: Myanmar volunteers dig with bare hands to save earthquake victims

The military junta is calling for foreign aid but agencies and rescuers must navigate crumbling roads, an overwhelmed health system and ongoing fighting

The children at Bright Kids nursery in Kyaukse, a town south of Mandalay, were taking a nap when the earthquake struck on Friday afternoon. The two-storey building collapsed with dozens of children aged between two and four trapped inside. For hours, rescuers sifted through the rubble, searching desperately for survivors.

We were clearing the building using diggers and rescuing people with manual tools," said Thar Nge, a volunteer. They needed better equipment - metal cutters and generators - but made use of what they had. Thar Nge helped carry a four-year-old girl to safety. She pleaded, over and over, for him to save her, he said. He held a bottle of water to her mouth before her dusty body was freed.