Myanmar earthquake death toll nears 2000 as search and rescue ops intensify

The death toll from Myanmar's deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake has neared 2,000, as search and rescue operations for missing people continue.

On Monday, rescuers freed a woman from the ruins of a hotel in Myanmar. The woman was pulled from the rubble of the Great Wall Hotel in the city of Mandalay, according to a Chinese government post on Facebook.

In Bangkok, emergency crews resumed search for 76 people believed buried under the rubble of an under-construction skyscraper that collapsed.

After nearly three days, fears were growing that the rescuers would find more dead bodies, which could sharply raise Thailand's death toll that stood at 18 on March 30.

In Myanmar, state media said at least 1,700 people have been confirmed dead. The Wall Street Journal reported the death toll had reached 2,028 in Myanmar. Agenices could not confirm the new death toll.

The United Nations said it was rushing relief supplies to estimated 23,000 quake-hit survivors in central Myanmar.

"Our teams in Mandalay are joining efforts to scale up the humanitarian response despite going through the trauma themselves," said Noriko Takagi, the UN refugee agency's representative in Myanmar. "Time is of the essence as Myanmar needs global solidarity and support through this immense devastation."

India, China and Thailand are among Myanmar's neighbours that have sent relief materials and teams, along with aid and personnel from Malaysia, Singapore and Russia.