Myanmar: Military declares truce to facilitate quake relief

Myanmar's ruling military on Wednesday declared a temporary ceasefire in the country's civil war to facilitate relief efforts following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

According to an announcement broadcast on state television MRTV, the ceasefire would last until April 22 and was aimed at showing sympathy for people affected by Friday's quake.

The move followed unilateral temporary ceasefires announced by the armed resistance groups that are opposed to the military rule.

Meanwhile, the death toll following a massive earthquake in Myanmar has jumped to 3,003 people, with a further 4,639 injured and 373 missing, Myanmar state-run television reported on Wednesday. 

Man pulled out of rubble five days after quake

At the same time, rescuers were able to pull a man alive from the rubble five days after the tremor. Using an endoscopic camera to pinpoint his location and make sure he was still breathing, Naing Lin Tun was removed shirtless and weak but conscious and immediately put on a stretcher.

The 26-year-old hotel worker was saved by a joint Burmese-Turkish team and brought to a local hospital.

As the humanitarian situation became increasingly dire, calls mounted for Myanmar's military junta to allow more international aid. Beijing said it had delivered aid in cash via its embassy in Naypyitaw, as China is one of a couple dozen countries to maintain a constant diplomatic presence in Myanmar.

The United Nations has urged the military dictatorship to cease hostilities with rebels in reponse to the 7.7 magnitude quake, but reports indicate that the military has launched several strikes in recent days despite the disaster and a partial truce agreement.

UN special envoy Julie Bishop called on both sides to "focus their efforts on the protection of civilians, including aid workers, and the delivery of life-saving assistance."

According to the UN, some 3 million people in Myanmar have been displaced from their homes and 20 million were in need of aid even before the earthquake struck due to years of violence between the junta and rebel militias.

China urges construction companies to follow safety guidelines

In Thailand, where the earthquake damage was mostly localized to a single construction site in Bangkok, the death toll had risen to 22 as of Wednesday.

The government in Beijing urged all Chinese construction companies to respect local laws, as questions began to swirl whether the Chinese-led project had been following safety guidelines.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery