Buildings in Myanmar are continuing to collapse five days after a powerful earthquake struck the country, creating perilous conditions for rescuers as they attempt to extricate survivors from the rubble.

General Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of the ruling junta, declared a continuation of military operations as the earthquake's death toll rose to 2,719 with 400 people still missing and more than 4,000 injured, the independent news agency Myanmar Now reported.

An aftershock yesterday struck Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, near the epicenter of the initial quake, toppling several buildings that had previously survived. Many fear for the missing, whose chances drop sharply after this evening, when a crucial 72-hour survival window closes.

Regime green-lights muted traditional New Year celebrations, apparently reluctant to miss rare opportunity for propaganda.

A major alliance of ethnic armed groups in northern Myanmar has announced a unilateral one-month ceasefire to allow humanitarian relief efforts to proceed in the wake of last week’s devastating earthquake.

But a rushed ceasefire born of necessity does not equate to a lasting solution. As such, the shifting geopolitics of Russia, the U.S. and China may impact Myanmar’s civil war – but it will do little to encourage democracy in the country, nor put it on a path to lasting peace.

Myanmar's NUG calls for ceasefire after earthquake, urges international aid for relief efforts in conflict-affected areas.

Two Bangladeshis were injured by gunfire from Myanmar's Arakan Army at the Tumbru border in Bandarban. The incident occurred around midnight on Friday, reports Bangla Tribune. The injured individuals,