The death toll following a massive earthquake in Myanmar has jumped to 2,886 people, with a further 4,639 injured and 373 missing, Myanmar state-run television reported on Wednesday.
At the same time, rescuers were able to pull a man alive from the rubble five days after the tremor. Using an endiscopic 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.
