Top Malaysian, Thai diplomats visit quake-hit Myanmar

ISTANBUL

The top diplomats of Malaysia and Thailand visited quake-hit Myanmar on Saturday as part of an ASEAN response to the disaster and show solidarity with the people of the Southeast nation, according to state-run media.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan and his Thai counterpart Maris Sangiampongsa met Myanmar’s junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and Foreign Minister Than Shwe, Bernama news agency reported.

The two were shown by Myanmar's foreign minister parts of the Foreign Ministry building that had collapsed or been damaged by the disaster.

Thai and Malaysian foreign ministers also met with members of the National Disaster Management Committee and representatives from the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management, reported Myanmar's state media.

A number of nations have sent aid and rescue teams.

The latest death toll stands at 3,354, with 4,508 injured and 220 missing, according to Myanmar state media. In Bangkok, 22 people were killed, most of them crushed when a tower block under construction collapsed during the tremors.

On a related note, Singapore’s novel robot cockroaches were utilized in Myanmar earthquake relief efforts, according to the Straits Times, marking the first time in the world of such cyborg usage in humanitarian operations.