Five friends defied the junta to care for people injured in the military coup. One returned from the battlefield to find his four friends among the dead in the March 28 earthquake.

S ince March 28th, when a powerful earthquake shook Myanmar’s central heartlands, the country’s brutal junta has tried to show the world its softer side. Min Aung Hlaing, its leader, has visited survivors in a hospital and asked foreigners to send help.

The death toll from the massive earthquake that hit Myanmar nearly a week ago rose Thursday to 3,085 as more bodies were found by search and rescue teams, the military-led government said. In a short statement, the military said another 4,715 people have been injured and 341 are missing.

Extreme heat and heavy rain in Myanmar could cause disease outbreaks among earthquake survivors camping in the open, global aid bodies warned on Thursday, complicating rescue efforts made difficult by a civil war,

Remarkable rescue stories from Myanmar's earthquake ruins are keeping hope alive, but aid agencies say time is running out fast, and the need for help is vast.