Rain complicates relief efforts in quake-hit Myanmar

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

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

Aftershocks have also continued as long as a week after the initial tremors, with a 4.7-magnitude quake striking just south of Mandalay late Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey.

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.