YANGON, March 30 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- The death toll in a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck central Myanmar rose to over 1,600, with more than 3,400 others injured, the junta said Saturday, as rescuers race against the clock with many believed trapped under the rubble.
Kyodo News citing a Japanese government source said the whereabouts of one Japanese national in Mandalay -- a city near the quake's epicentre -- is unknown, suggesting the person may have been among those affected.
About a dozen Japanese are believed to live in Mandalay and the surrounding area.
More rescue teams arrived from other countries and joined search and rescue efforts, as the first 72 hours since the powerful quake -- considered a crucial window for finding survivors -- neared their end.
But efforts have been hampered by shortages of heavy machinery.
The quake hit in the early afternoon on Friday with strong shaking near Myanmar's second-largest city of Mandalay.
Tremors were also felt in neighbouring Thailand and China.
Japan, United States, Russia, China and other countries as well as international bodies expressed their readiness to provide assistance to Myanmar. Some have already begun doing so.
-- BERNAMA-KYODO
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