Bodies of 2 women pulled from rubble of Myanmar condo after relative recognised sister's hand in video

The bodies of two Chinese women were extricated from beneath a collapsed condominium in Mandalay, Myanmar on Apr. 4, after a relative thought she recognised her sister's hand waving in videos of rescue operations at the site.

Rescue efforts at the 12-storey Sky Villa condominium had started after the building collapsed during the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar on Mar. 28.

The two deceased, Ming Yanzhu and Yang Liqing, were the elder sister and cousin of a Chinese woman, surnamed Ming, who lives in Myanmar, Sin Chew Daily and China Press reported, citing Chinese news outlets.

Spotted 'sister's hand' waving in video

According to Ming, within an hour after the earthquake, she learned that her elder sister and cousin were trapped in the rubble under Sky Villa.

Ming told Xiaoxiang Morning News that they were staying in one of the buildings in the condominium when the earthquake happened.

Ming said she subsequently saw a video of the rescue operations where rescuers called out to a woman trapped in the rubble, and the woman responded by stretching out her hand and shaking it.

After watching the clip more than 20 times, Ming said she was sure the trapped woman was her sister Yanzhu.

One indication for Ming was that the hand appeared to be wearing a ring on its thumb — which her sister had the habit of doing.

Ming continued to monitor rescue operations at Sky Villa closely.

She also requested rescue teams at the site to help find her sister and cousin.

On the morning of Mar. 31, Chinese authorities said that three people, including a pregnant woman and a five-year-old child, were rescued from the Sky Villa site and sent to hospital.

Bodies found

It was only on Mar. 4 that the Xiamen "Blue Sky" rescue team managed to locate the bodies of the two missing Chinese women Ming Yanzhu and Yang Liqing, Chinese media reported.

Their bodies were extricated from the wreckage at about 4pm, with rescuers handing over the jade they were wearing to their families.

The women's family members were seen crying and kneeling down before the rescue team to express their gratitude.

Background

The death toll from the Myanmar quake has exceeded 3,000, with rain expected to make rescue efforts even more challenging.

The royal capital city of Mandalay, home to over 1.5 million people, and the Sagaing region were the hardest hit by the quake.

The condominium, the Sky Villa, was reportedly marketed for its "earthquake-resistant foundation".

The body of Silimee, the Myanmar representative for Miss Tourism World 2018, was found underneath the ruins of the building.

Top image from Weibo & 小玲玲/Douyin