Death toll in Myanmar earthquake has risen to 1,644 as military rulers let in hundreds of foreign rescue personnel on Saturday.

The 7.7 magnitude quake, among the biggest to jolt the Southeast Asian nation in the last century, crippled airports, bridges and highways amid a civil war that has wrecked the economy and displaced millions.

At least nine people were killed in neighbouring Thailand, where the quake rattled buildings and brought down a skyscraper under construction in the capital Bangkok.

DAILY POST reports that survivors in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-biggest city, dug with their bare hands on Friday in desperate attempts to save those still trapped, lacking heavy machinery and with authorities absent.

On Saturday in Bangkok, rescue operations continued at the site of the 33-story tower’s collapse, where 47 people were missing or trapped under the rubble – including workers from Myanmar.

The US Geological Service’s predictive modelling estimated that Myanmar’s death toll could exceed 10,000 and losses could exceed the country’s annual economic output.

Myanmar’s junta chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, a day after making a rare call for international assistance, travelled to hard-hit Mandalay near the epicentre of the quake, which brought down buildings and triggered fires in some areas.

“The Chairman of the State Administration Council instructed authorities to expedite search and rescue efforts and address any urgent needs,” the junta said.

Myanmar quake death toll passes 1,600