Myanmar media host recalls moment of earthquake, appealing for int'l support to relief efforts

A media host in Myanmar on Friday recalled what he described his "most memorable" life experience when a violent 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked the Southeast Asian nation at around 12:50 local time on the same day, appealing for international assistance to the country's disaster relief efforts.

Myanmar's state-run television said the death toll in Friday's earthquake that struck central parts of the country has so far climbed to 1,002 with 2,376 more injured, while a lot of others remain missing.

Zwe Thet Paing, a host for Myanmar International Radio, shared his personal experience when the strong tremor was felt in Yangon, the country's largest city, in an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN).

"It happened like around 01:00 pm local time. It happened during my break time. I was chilling with my coffee and with my co-workers, and the building started shaking. Soon, I was like, 'Oh, what's going on, what's happening?' The shaking (was) getting stronger and intense. So, I got a realization, 'Oh, the earthquake is really happening right now in Myanmar.' So, of course, I ran away as fast as I can," the host recounted.

Much of the devastation has been reported in Mandalay, the country's second-largest city that lies close to the epicenter of the quake.

Based on what he had learned about the aftermath of the disaster, the media host said the total loss and damage remain difficult to estimate.

"The situation in Mandalay is really bad right now. The Clock Tower near Mandalay, monastery, collapsed, and was damaged. And the obvious part is the Old Sagaing Bridge sustained damage. I'm sure it's already on social media, part of the Mandalay Moat collapsed and was damaged. So, I think some historical sites from the Myanmar kingdom era have collapsed, so it's really difficult to estimate the total loss and damage," he said.

The Myanmar government has released an emergency announcement regarding the earthquake and assembled a committee to provide assistance to those affected, the host said, calling on the international community to help.

"We need international assistance. Please support us, please pray for Myanmar. We need emergency help, especially in Mandalay," he added.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that the United Nations system is mobilizing to support people in need in Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries which have also been affected by the quake.

Myanmar media host recalls moment of earthquake, appealing for int'l support to relief efforts

Myanmar media host recalls moment of earthquake, appealing for int'l support to relief efforts

Los Angeles is grappling with rising costs and delays in its wildfire recovery process, as tariffs on construction materials imposed during the Trump administration compound the challenges.

The devastating wildfires recently destroyed over 17,000 homes and businesses, leaving communities urgently pushing forward with reconstruction.

The Trump administration has recently rolled out new tariffs on a wide range of construction materials, including steel and aluminum, from the main trading partners of the United States, such as Canada, Mexico, and China. This has significantly driven up costs, further complicating the recovery efforts

"As the city and county of Los Angeles move aggressively to rebuild the wildfire areas in Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and up in Altadena, to build those houses, we need softwood lumber, aluminum, and steel from Canada," said Gene Soroka, executive director of Port of Los Angeles.

While the tariffs aim to boost domestic production, the transition will take time. In the interim, the shortage of materials is creating ripple effects across the construction sector.

"We are still handling a lot of imported steel, despite the tariffs because there's not enough American manufacturing of steel right now. So, one of the unintended consequences that this has done the wrong way is you don't have enough steel. That impacts construction, that impacts economic growth across the board," said Weston Labar, chief strategy office of Waterfront Logistics.

According to the Associated General Contractors of America, housing costs could skyrocket by almost 50 percent, widening the gap between insurance payouts and actual rebuilding expenses. It may force many homeowners to delay or even abandon their reconstruction plans, prolonging the housing shortage in Los Angeles.

Tariffs are also driving up prices for other products, impacting recovery efforts.

"We need appliances from Mexico, furniture from China, and all of those prices are going up, whether anticipatory, or real as these imports are coming across our port complex. So, we've got to have some pretty detailed discussions about this because families who want to rebuild, businesses who want to get back into the office are going to be impacted by these tariffs one way or another," said Soroka.

As Los Angeles strives to recover, the economic uncertainty caused by tariffs presents a formidable obstacle.

Tariffs add strain to Los Angeles wildfire recovery efforts