Five foreign teachers residing at the Skylar Villa Condominium in Mandalay remain trapped following the building’s collapse caused by an earthquake that struck on March 28. The missing foreign nationals include three South African citizens, one Russian national, and one Filipino citizen, all of whom are teachers at the Heritage Christian International School (HCIS) in Mandalay. According to school officials, there has been no contact with any of the trapped teachers for more than 70 hours since the earthquake occurred.
The missing teachers have been identified as Cowan from South Africa, who resided in room 103-D; Pelontle from South Africa, who lived in room 109-D; Barren from the Philippines, who occupied room 602-D; Mike from Russia, who stayed in room 906-D; and Oliver from South Africa, who resided in room 908-D. School authorities have expressed deep concern about their whereabouts and safety as rescue operations continue at the collapsed structure.
Currently, Chinese rescue teams are working in collaboration with Myanmar’s Fire Services Department to conduct intensive search and rescue operations at the Skylar Villa site. The rescue efforts face significant challenges due to the nature of the building’s collapse and the complexity of the situation. The school administration maintains close contact with the rescue teams and relevant authorities, while anxiously awaiting any news about their missing colleagues. The incident has highlighted the devastating impact of the earthquake on the Mandalay community and the ongoing efforts to locate and rescue those still trapped within the collapsed structure.
