Staff from Myanmar Railways headquarters have confirmed that more than 1,600 employees and their family members have been left homeless after the March 28 earthquake caused severe damage to staff housing complexes in Naypyidaw. The earthquake resulted in the complete destruction, collapse, and severe structural damage of 25 four-story buildings for junior staff and 17 buildings for senior staff, rendering them completely uninhabitable.
While the military council has provided temporary shelter for the affected staff and their families at Naypyidaw Railway Station Platform No. 1 and within the Road Transport compound in Pyinmana Township, they have failed to provide essential basic assistance. The victims are in urgent need of drinking water, food supplies, and proper shelter according to staff members. The situation has become particularly dire as the affected families struggle to meet their basic needs without any substantial support from authorities.
The earthquake claimed the lives of 12 Myanmar Railways staff members and their family members, while 14 others sustained severe injuries. Currently, the survivors are facing a severe drinking water shortage, forcing them to purchase bottled water at 2,000 kyats per bottle. Staff members report that no officials have visited to assess the situation or provide assistance. The majority of the employees are now forced to sleep on the streets due to the extensive damage to their residential buildings, facing significant challenges in maintaining their daily lives and securing basic necessities. The lack of effective support from the military council has left these civil servants in a precarious situation with no immediate solutions to their housing crisis.
