Multiple Chinese rescue teams collaborate to assist those trapped after the earthquake in Myanmar. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
More than 120 hours after a powerful earthquake struck Myanmar, Chinese rescuers on Wednesday night pulled a 52-year-old man alive from the rubble of a collapsed hotel in Mandalay.
The rescue came after the critical 72-hour window had passed and as temperatures in the city soared above 40 degrees Celsius. The survivor was in stable condition and receiving treatment at a local hospital, authorities said.
"We used our equipment to accurately detect signs of life in the collapsed building and continuously received feedback, eventually confirming that the survivor was at the bottom of this collapsed hotel structure," said Yue Xin, team leader of Operation Group, China Search and Rescue Team.
Yue said the eight-story Golden Village Hotel partially collapsed during the 7.9-magnitude earthquake on March 28, with its bottom three floors crumbling while the top five remained relatively intact. After technical assessments deemed the site safe for rescue operations in the absence of aftershocks, teams moved in.
China's disaster relief command center coordinated the response, deploying rescue personnel, technical experts, and medical teams, Yue said.
China Search and Rescue Team members free a local resident trapped in Myanmar earthquake. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Rescuers decided to enter from the ground level and drill downward, using an endoscope to locate the man.
"This survivor must have had good earthquake survival knowledge," Yue said. "He sheltered between two beds, which provided protection from falling debris and prevented serious injury. The space had some ventilation after the collapse, and he had a pot of water nearby, which were crucial for his survival."
After establishing contact with the man using a translator, the team provided him with saline solution before extracting him.
"After six consecutive days of high temperatures, the chances of finding survivors were very low. However, Chinese rescue personnel persisted in their search efforts," Yue said.
"I am extremely grateful to the Chinese rescue team. I could hear their search efforts, which gave me the faith to survive," the survivor said.
At 5:40 pm on Wednesday, rescuers lifted him onto a stretcher and transported him to a hospital.
Members of the China Search and Rescue tend to the wounds of an earthquake victim in Mandalay. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The China International Search and Rescue Team, and a rescue team from Hong Kong, and the Shenzhen Rescue Volunteers Federation also participated in the operation.
Other groups, including Blue Sky Rescue, have also been conducting continuous search-and-rescue operations for more than 100 hours since arriving in Mandalay on March 30.
As of Thursday, Chinese teams had rescued nine people trapped in the quake's aftermath.
"Thank you to our Chinese friends. Whenever help is needed anywhere in the world, you are the first to arrive," said Li Yanlin, a resident currently sleeping on a mat by the riverbank.
"In recent days, we have seen Chinese volunteers in every street and alley, working tirelessly day and night in search-and-rescue efforts, and providing us with tents, food, and water. Just now, they asked me if I needed anything, which made me feel very reassured," she said.
Mandalay's airport was paralyzed after the quake, requiring a 12-hour bus ride from Yangon for arriving relief teams. However, by Monday, large quantities of Chinese rescue supplies, donations, and medical teams had begun arriving, with various organizations coordinating aid distribution and post-disaster epidemic prevention efforts.
Volunteers of the Blue Sky Rescue explain the rescue plan to the families of a stranded local resident. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
