A woman gave birth to a baby girl as the hospital she was in was evacuated during the catastrophic earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand.
In the chaos of Friday’s powerful 7.7 magnitude quake, Kanthong Saenmuangshin, 36, gave birth on a rolling bed as patients were moved to the ground floor and outside buildings for safety.
The Thai 36-year-old had gone to the Police General Hospital in Bangkok for a routine check-up but ended up going into labour after the ground started shaking.
Ms Saenmuangshin’s waters broke while she was being escorted by medical staff down five flights of stairs, and she was worried she would give birth on the stairway.
Speaking on Saturday after her newborn had been safely delivered, she said: “I was telling my baby, don’t come out yet. Then I was put on a hospital bed and was surrounded by a lot of medical staffs where I just gave birth right then and there. It was all a shock to me too.”
At that time, Ms Saenmuangshin’s husband was at work and could not make it to the hospital in time for the birth.
Relief came when her daughter was finally born. The ground had stopped shaking and the sight of her baby brought the new mother happiness.
Ms Saenmuangshin and her husband have given their baby a nickname, “Mink”. They have not yet decided on her full name but do not plan to give her any names related to the earthquake.
The earthquake struck at midday on Friday with an epicentre not far from Mandalay, Myanmar’s second biggest city, sending buildings in many areas toppling to the ground and causing widespread damage.
The confirmed death toll from the devastating quake rose to more than 1,644 on Saturday, according to state television in Myanmar. The number of injured increased to 3,408, while the missing figure rose to 139.
Rescue workers attempt to free a resident trapped under the rubble of the destroyed Sky Villa Condominium development in Mandalay (AFP via Getty Images)
The earthquake also shook neighbouring Thailand, killing six people and injuring 26 at three construction sites, including one where a partially built high-rise collapsed in Bangkok. Another 47 people were still missing, authorities said on Saturday.
Rescue efforts are underway, as the numbers of dead and wounded are likely to continue to grow, and a state of emergency was declared in both countries.
Kanthong Saenmuangshin, Myanmar, Ms Saenmuangshin, Myanmar, Bangkok, Thailand, hospital bed, magnitude quake
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