Myanmar quake death toll at 3,354, junta leader returns from summit

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The decease toll from Myanmar's devastating earthquake climbed to 3,354, with 4,850 injured and 220 missing, authorities media said connected Saturday, arsenic the visiting U.N. assistance main praised humanitarian and assemblage groups for starring the assistance response.

The person of the subject government, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, was backmost successful the superior Naypyitaw aft a uncommon overseas travel to be a acme successful Bangkok of South and Southeast Asian nations, wherever helium besides met separately with the leaders of Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and India.

Min Aung Hlaing reaffirmed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi the junta's plans to clasp "free and fair" elections successful December, Myanmar authorities media said.

Modi called for a post-quake ceasefire successful Myanmar's civilian warfare to beryllium made permanent, and said the elections needed to beryllium "inclusive and credible", an Indian overseas affairs spokesperson said connected Friday.

Critics person derided the planned predetermination arsenic a sham to support the generals successful powerfulness done proxies.

Since overthrowing the elected civilian authorities of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi successful 2021, the subject has struggled to tally Myanmar, leaving the system and basal services, including healthcare, successful tatters, a concern exacerbated by the March 28 quake.

The civilian warfare that followed the coup has displaced much than 3 cardinal people, with wide nutrient insecurity and much than a 3rd of the colonisation successful request of humanitarian assistance, the U.N. says.

United Nations assistance main Tom Fletcher spent Friday nighttime successful Myanmar's second-biggest metropolis Mandalay, adjacent the epicentre of the quake, posting connected X that humanitarian and assemblage groups had led the effect to the quake with "courage, accomplishment and determination".

"Many themselves mislaid everything, and yet kept heading retired to enactment survivors," helium said.

The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said connected Friday the junta was restricting assistance supplies to quake-hit areas wherever communities did not backmost its rule. The U.N. bureau said it was investigating 53 reported attacks by the junta against opponents, including airstrikes, of which 16 were aft the ceasefire was declared connected Wednesday.

A junta spokesperson did not respond to calls seeking comment.

(Reporting by Shoong Naing; Writing by John Mair; Editing by William Mallard)