A quake that shattered Myanmar on Friday has left mourners in disbelief. At least 12 pre-school students were killed under the rubble; families are distraught. Two to seven years was the age of the children who succumbed to the disaster in Kyaukse, a town about 40km away from Mandalay.

Advertisment

Also read: Myanmar declares week of mourning as death toll surpasses 2,000

Bags, toys, and stationery were scattered around the building, which was reduced to rubble with very little left to call it a school. Piles of bricks and iron rods were all that was left of the structure. Parents were seen calling out to their babies in hope of hearing back. Locals were quoted in a report by news outlet BBC, saying for three days they would hear people calling out to their children; late at night they would hear names, and now it is all quiet.

A grandfather, who lost his 5-year-old granddaughter, said the family was preparing for her funeral; he was numb as he spoke these words. The child's mother was having her meal when the tremors of the earthquake were felt; she rushed to school only to see it reduced to debris. The grandfather said, "Fortunately, we got our beloved's body intact, in one piece."

Advertisment

Also read: Myanmar earthquake: India hands over 50 tonnes of relief material as death toll surpasses 2,000

Locals believe the death toll is more than what has been released so far; they estimate at least 40 lives have been lost under the slabs of the school. What used to be a chirpy neighbourhood with kids learning and merrymaking has now become a graveyard. They say the smallest coffins are the heaviest; the families are still coming to terms with reality as they conduct funerals for the children who've lost their lives.