MANDALAY, Myanmar, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The sun casts long shadows over the ruins of what was once a bustling residential block in Mandalay, Myanmar. Dust lingers in the air, mingling with the muffled voices of rescuers and the hushed prayers of families waiting, hoping, and grieving.

Two days have passed since the 7.9-magnitude earthquake shook Myanmar, leaving destruction in its wake. At Sky Villa, a condominium complex in Mandalay, rescue teams continue their desperate search for survivors.

Among the anxious onlookers was Daw Nan Mya Aye, a 65-year-old retired high school teacher. She stood with a composed yet weary expression, her hands tightly clasped in front of her.

"We have lost so many family members," she said.

"Our house had 11 people. When the quake struck, I wasn't home -- I had just returned from a meditation center and was staying at my daughter's place. My niece and nephew were also at work," she recalled.

As of Sunday evening, two of her family members had been pulled out from the wreckage. One of them was her 76-year-old elder sister. Her 14-year-old niece, badly injured with broken hip bones, is now in the hospital.

"We have no more tears left to cry," she said.

The earthquake, which struck central Myanmar on Friday afternoon, reduced many floors of the Sky Villa to rubble. Rescue teams, battling exhaustion, have pulled some survivors from the debris, but for many families, the agonizing wait continues.

Ko Chit Min Lwin, a man in his 30s, sat near the collapsed building, his face drawn with worry. He had just returned from Mogok the previous day when he heard the devastating news.

"My family was inside. One was on the eighth floor, and four were on the fifth," he said, his voice breaking. "My mother, my younger sister's parents-in-law. They are still in there," he said.

Nearby, 55-year-old Daw Thida Than sat in the corner of a building, her pale face streaked with dried tears. She waited for news of her niece, nephew-in-law, and their young son.

"I came with my eldest sister -- her daughter is inside. She is waiting in the car. We are praying they will come out alive," she said.

For days, she is too distressed to stomach a full meal and only ate a little of donated snacks and water. "At first, I cried so much, thinking they must be starving and thirsty in there. But now, I hold onto hope because the rescuers are doing their best," she said.

Among the rescuers is 19-year-old Pyae Phyo Aung, a member of Myanmar's Myat Thada Rescue. His team has saved 11 people so far, out of the 15 they have pulled out from the wreckage.

"We are rescuing people trapped in the rubble -- some with their legs pinned, some buried up to their waists, and others completely covered," he explains. "We prioritize saving the living before retrieving the dead."

"The first day at Sky Villa was the hardest. We could hear people crying for help from all directions, and we didn't know where to start. It was overwhelming," he said.

The rescue work is grueling, he said. Teams squeeze through tiny openings in the collapsed buildings, bringing oxygen, water, and food to those still trapped before carefully extracting them.

"When we finally pull someone out alive, the relief and joy in their eyes ... that's what keeps us going," Pyae Phyo Aung said. His team of about 15, along with other rescue groups, works around the clock, taking short breaks in turns to rest.

On Sunday, Chinese rescue teams arrived to assist local organizations, bringing more resources and expertise to the desperate search-and-rescue efforts. Rescues continue not only at Sky Villa but also at other damaged buildings across the region.

As of Sunday, the death toll has climbed to 1,700, with over 3,400 injured and 300 still missing, the Information Team of Myanmar's State Administration Council reported. Enditem

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