Tears and Prayers as Search Continues for Monks Trapped in Myanmar Quake

MANDALAY, March 30 — The lifeless face of a monk, coated in dust and resembling a Buddhist statue, emerges from the rubble of a collapsed religious examination hall in Mandalay, devastated by Myanmar’s powerful earthquake.

A rescue worker carefully brushes away the grey powder before respectfully covering the monk’s face with a fan. Nearby, beneath another slab of concrete, flies gather over a blood-matted, shaven head.

The air around the remains of the U Hla Thein monastery is thick with the stench of death, two days after a shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck, reducing buildings across central Myanmar to ruins.

More than 180 monks were inside the hall, taking the third session of a six-day senior monkhood exam, when the tremors hit at around 12:50 pm (2:20 pm Malaysian time) on Friday.

A photo captured the moment before disaster struck—monks seated on pink plastic chairs, heads bent over their papers in deep concentration.

While some managed to escape as parts of the three-story building collapsed, trapping those inside, the exact number of those still buried remains unknown.

So far, 21 survivors have been pulled from the rubble, while 13 bodies have been recovered, according to a rescue coordinator.

For families of the missing, hope lingers amid sorrow.

Hoping Against Despair

Kyaw Swe, a farmer, is waiting anxiously for news of his son, Seikta, who was among those trapped. A monk for 31 years, Seikta had been ordained as a novice at the age of nine.

“I still hope he is alive,” Kyaw Swe told AFP, tears slipping down his cheek. “His mother is heartbroken.

“If it is your time to die, there is no escape. But if you follow the Dhamma (Buddhist scripture), you can find peace. Otherwise, you will suffer.”

Rescue workers, aided by monks and relatives of the missing, worked tirelessly to clear the debris. Wearing surgical masks, they peered into the wreckage as jackhammers shattered layers of concrete, their efforts driven by news that two people had been detected alive beneath the ruins.

The cracked, damaged remains of the building loomed precariously overhead, and every sudden sound sent rescuers and onlookers scrambling, fearing another collapse.

San Nwe Aye, 60, whose brother was an exam administrator, hoped he would find peace amid the devastation.

“I long to hear his voice preaching again,” she said. “It brings me comfort.”

For monk Bhone Thuta, 31, faith offers a way to make sense of the tragedy.

“This happened because it was meant to be. There is no one to blame,” he said.

“In Buddhism, we believe it is karma from past lives. We are merely repaying our debts. Only Buddha knows what lies ahead, and this is a debt we must settle.” — AFP