The story

Myanmar has begun five days of national mourning, that’s the sadness we feel when someone dies, following an earthquake in the country which has killed more than 2700 people.

The earthquake has caused widespread damage in Myanmar and was also felt in Thailand and parts of China.

Teams are still trying to rescue survivors from collapsed buildings, days after the earthquake hit.

News headlines

Myanmar earthquake: woman trapped for days pulled alive from the rubble
The Guardian

Nurses cling on to newborn babies during earthquake
BBC

Earthquake deepens crisis in Myanmar as aid effort intensifies
Financial Times

Key words and phrases

rubble
the piles of bricks, stone or other materials left behind when a building is destroyed

  • The factory was knocked down and now all that’s left is rubble.

cling
hold someone or something tightly

  • My friend’s terrified of flying. He clings onto his wife’s hand any time he travels by plane.

deepen crisis
make a bad situation worse

  • The CEO quitting only deepened the crisis at the company.