Almost 90 bodies have been recovered so far – that Thar Nge knew of – compared with 36 people rescued from their flattened homes, businesses and the numerous Buddhist temples in the area.
“Many people, as well as monks and nuns in Sagaing, have been trapped under buildings, including monasteries and nunneries,” he said.
“The focus is shifting from rescuing the living to retrieving and burying the dead.”
The smell of decaying bodies is everywhere in Sagaing.
In Mandalay, the country’s second largest city located 22km (14 miles) to the east, a shortage of specialised equipment has left rescue workers and the relatives of people trapped digging with their bare hands to find survivors.