MANDALAY, Myanmar, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Under the blazing sun at a relief camp in Mandalay, central Myanmar, 78-year-old Daw Khin Ohnmar Myint waves a hand fan to cool herself, the intense 40-degree heat only adding to the challenge of survival.

Just days ago, she was sitting and meditating when the ground shook violently, causing buildings to collapse around her, as a 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit the country. "I was terrified," she recalled.

Though her family survived, their home did not. Like many others, they now struggle to stay cool in makeshift shelters, waiting for aid while fearing more aftershocks.

Her family of six found their house still standing, but the threat of aftershocks forced them to leave. "At first, we slept by the roadside. Now we are in a relief camp. The biggest problem here is the heat," she said on Thursday.

Without rental housing available, her family plans to leave the camp before April 8, unsure of where to go. "We don't know if we should return home or find another place to stay," she added, holding on to hope despite the uncertainty.

In Inwa, U Aye Maung, 67, said aftershocks continue. "We feel tremors at least two to three times a day. We don't dare sleep indoors, so we stay in the fields at night," he said.

His family of eight faces another crisis -- a broken water system. "Underground pipes burst, and only a few tube wells still work. We depend on them for drinking water."

He said he experienced a big earthquake at the age of around 10, but this one was far worse. "All the pagodas in Inwa are damaged this time. The roads are cracked," he said.

In Tada-U, Ko Doe Gyi, 54, on Wednesday cleared debris from his family's shop while mourning his two younger sisters. "Our biggest problem now is clean drinking water. Thieves also come at night, making things even worse," he said.

The lack of electricity has deepened the crisis.

"Water purification machines don't work. Those with solar power have clean water, but others have to drink from the river, risking diseases," he said.

Rebuilding won't be easy. "People with money will recover faster. But the mental trauma will take much longer to heal," he said. Fear of aftershocks keeps him and many others sleeping outside, despite mosquitoes and discomfort, Ko Doe Gyi said.

The March 28 earthquake has killed 3,145 people, injured 4,589, and left 221 missing as of Thursday, according to official figures. It destroyed nearly 22,000 houses, along with schools, monasteries, pagodas, hospitals, and government buildings.

As of Thursday, 68 aftershocks have been recorded, shaking an already shattered nation. Despite the devastation, survivors hold on to hope, waiting for aid and rebuilding efforts to bring stability in the months ahead.

Hospitals are struggling too. At Sagaing hospital, the medical staff moved patients outdoors due to structural damage. "For safety, we treat patients outside," said a doctor who requested anonymity.

"The heat is a challenge for the patients. We need more water, but donors have helped us manage," the doctor said. Enditem

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