KUALA LUMPUR: Members of the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) were overcome with sorrow during their mission in Myanmar, as they retrieved the bodies of children from beneath the debris of a collapsed school building.

What was meant to be a place of learning became a scene of heartbreak, making the two-day operation in the Sagaing region one of the most emotionally difficult for the team.

In a Facebook post, SMART said the operation, led by officer PB Avlyanie Moidi with the help of local rescuers, was carried out non-stop in the race to find victims.

“The bodies of the victims were found buried under rubble and concrete as deep as 3m. Three victims were extricated.

“The team extends its deepest condolences to the families.”

The Assessment, Search and Rescue Level 5 (ASR5) phase, the final stage of operations focused on recovering deceased victims and thoroughly checking all possible voids, will be continued by local rescue teams.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who ended his official visit to Myanmar on Saturday, told Bernama that the SMART team would end its operations and return home today.

He added that the search-andrescue (SAR) operation by SMART was stopped because no more survivors had been found trapped under the rubble of the natural disaster.

The one-day humanitarian mission was led by his Thai counterpart, Maris Saengiampongsa.

Mohamad said National Administrative Council chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and Myanmar Foreign Minister U Than Shwe, during a meeting, expressed their appreciation to Malaysia for SMART’s efficiency in carrying out the SAR operation in the country, as well as the distribution of humanitarian aid.

Mohamad said SMART was sent to Sagaing because the team had adequate SAR equipment.

“In fact, I was informed that the people there have so much respect and admiration for our SMART team that they have asked our team not to return to Malaysia,” he said.

Malaysia had sent two Royal Malaysian Air Force A400M aircraft carrying 50 Smart personnel and officers, as well as teams under the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) to Myanmar for the SAR operation on March 30.

SMART had successfully pulled out seven victims, including one who was still alive under the rubble of the earthquake in Sagaing since last Monday.

RAIN is compounding misery and presenting new hurdles for relief efforts yesterday in Myanmar, where state media reported the death toll from a devastating earthquake has risen to nearly 3,500 people.

The 7.7-magnitude quake struck on March 28, razing buildings, cutting off power and destroying bridges and roads across the country.

Damage has been particularly severe in the city of Sagaing near the epicentre, as well as in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second city with more than 1.7 million residents.

State media in the military junta-led country now say that the earthquake has caused 3,471 confirmed deaths and injured 4,671 people, while 214 remain missing.

With people either having lost their homes entirely or reluctant to spend time in unstable structures, many residents have been sleeping outside in tents.

Around 45 minutes of heavy rain and winds lashed tent cities on Saturday evening in Mandalay, according to the United Nations Development Programme.

People and their belongings were soaked because of a shortage of tarpaulins, Tun Tun, a programme specialist at the UN agency, said.

There are also fears destroyed buildings will subside and complicate body recovery efforts.

Following less intense showers yesterday morning, the temperature is due to climb to 37°C.

Aid experts warn that rainy conditions and scorching heat increase the risk of disease outbreaks at outdoor camps where victims were in temporary shelter.

UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said that food, water and power repairs were needed urgently. Many people in the area were still without shelter, he said.

“We need to get tents and hope to survivors as they rebuild their shattered lives.”

Meanwhile, Thailand and Malaysia are closely coordinating with Myanmar to mobilise international assistance.

Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said he had agreed with Malaysia, the Asean chair, to coordinate with Myanmar on the delivery of international aid, with the Asean Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian

Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) serving as the central coordinator.

“In the initial phase, Thailand will focus on the affected areas in Mandalay, while Malaysia will concentrate on areas in Sagaing,” he posted on X yesterday.

On Saturday, Maris and his Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, jointly led a humanitarian mission to Naypyidaw.

Maris expressed his appreciation to Mohamad for the invitation to join the Asean humanitarian mission to Myanmar.

He said the purpose of the visit was to discuss ways to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Myanmar people.

“During the visit, Thai and Malaysian delegations held discussions with the Myanmar authorities, the AHA Centre and UN agencies, which provided valuable information necessary for mobilising aid to the affected population.”