Myanmar was hit by a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake, the strongest in over 100 years. The epicentre was just 10 miles from Mandalay, the country’s second-biggest city. The quake caused huge damage, with big impacts also felt in the capital, Naypyidaw. So far, over 3,000 people are believed to have died. Rescue work is still going on, but many families are still searching for their loved ones.
One of the people caught in the disaster was Tin Maung Htwe, a 47-year-old headmaster of a primary school. He was in Sagaing, one of the worst-hit areas, attending a training course. When the quake began, he remembered something he learned as a child, he quickly got under his bed for safety. Moments later, the Swal Taw Nann guesthouse where he was staying collapsed on top of him.
“As soon as I went under the bed, the whole hotel fell down,” he said. “All I could afford was to say, ‘Save me.’”
Sagaing was badly destroyed. Many buildings fell down, and large cracks appeared on the roads, making rescue work even harder. The fall of the Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River also delayed help from reaching those in need.
Tin Maung Htwe was trapped on the ground floor of the collapsed hotel. It was completely dark, and he had no food or water. As the hours passed, his thirst became too much. He had no choice but to drink his own urine to survive.
“My body was burning hot, and all I needed was water,” he said from his hospital bed. “I couldn’t get that water from anywhere. So I had to refill the water my body needed with fluids coming out of my body.”
When rescuers finally reached the hotel ruins, they had stopped expecting to find anyone alive. The Myanmar Red Cross was mainly recovering bodies. But then, a Malaysian rescue team noticed signs of life under the rubble.
His sister, Nan Yone, 50, waited anxiously nearby. When he was finally pulled out alive on Wednesday, she was overcome with joy.
“I was dancing, crying, and beating my chest because I was so happy,” she said.
Despite everything he went through, Tin Maung Htwe stayed strong.
“I am glad I am free now,” he told AFP. “I wouldn’t be able to do anything if I was dead. I didn’t die, so now I can do whatever I wish.”
He hopes to go back to teaching but is also thinking about a new direction in life.
“I am considering becoming a Buddhist monk,” he said.
Amid the disaster and sadness, his story gives a little hope, a reminder of how strong people can be even in the worst times.
Inputs from agencies
One of the people caught in the disaster was Tin Maung Htwe, a 47-year-old headmaster of a primary school. He was in Sagaing, one of the worst-hit areas, attending a training course. When the quake began, he remembered something he learned as a child, he quickly got under his bed for safety. Moments later, the Swal Taw Nann guesthouse where he was staying collapsed on top of him.
“As soon as I went under the bed, the whole hotel fell down,” he said. “All I could afford was to say, ‘Save me.’”
Sagaing was badly destroyed. Many buildings fell down, and large cracks appeared on the roads, making rescue work even harder. The fall of the Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River also delayed help from reaching those in need.
Tin Maung Htwe was trapped on the ground floor of the collapsed hotel. It was completely dark, and he had no food or water. As the hours passed, his thirst became too much. He had no choice but to drink his own urine to survive.
“My body was burning hot, and all I needed was water,” he said from his hospital bed. “I couldn’t get that water from anywhere. So I had to refill the water my body needed with fluids coming out of my body.”
When rescuers finally reached the hotel ruins, they had stopped expecting to find anyone alive. The Myanmar Red Cross was mainly recovering bodies. But then, a Malaysian rescue team noticed signs of life under the rubble.
His sister, Nan Yone, 50, waited anxiously nearby. When he was finally pulled out alive on Wednesday, she was overcome with joy.
“I was dancing, crying, and beating my chest because I was so happy,” she said.
Despite everything he went through, Tin Maung Htwe stayed strong.
“I am glad I am free now,” he told AFP. “I wouldn’t be able to do anything if I was dead. I didn’t die, so now I can do whatever I wish.”
He hopes to go back to teaching but is also thinking about a new direction in life.
“I am considering becoming a Buddhist monk,” he said.
Amid the disaster and sadness, his story gives a little hope, a reminder of how strong people can be even in the worst times.
Inputs from agencies
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