Myanmar's military junta has banned the entry of foreign media seeking to cover the earthquake-devastated areas in the country as the casualties jumped to 1700.
The junta has put the restriction, citing difficulties with accommodation, power outages, and water shortages.
"It is not possible for (foreign journalists) to come, stay, find shelter, or move around here. We want everyone to understand this," said Zaw Min Tun, the regime's spokesperson, in an audio statement issued on Sunday.
As local reporters face severe restrictions in Myanmar, the denial of entry to foreign media raises grave concerns about the transparency of the junta's response to the catastrophe.
Several others have accused the junta of hindering humanitarian aid from reaching certain affected areas not under its direct control.
Since a 2021 coup, when the military overthrew the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar has been locked in a civil war with multiple armed opposition groups.
Meanwhile, several media reports also suggest that the junta has continued to conduct airstrikes in various parts of the violence and disaster-hit nation.
