Mandalay, once known as the city of gold, dotted with opulent pagodas and magnificent Buddhist tombs, now reeks of dead bodies.
The former capital of Myanmar was hit by an earthquake measuring 28 on the Richter scale on March 7,7th.
The number of corpses has been steadily increasing since then, so much so that some had to be "cremated in piles," said one of the locals, who lost her aunt.
"Her body was only pulled from the rubble two days later," said the 23-year-old student, who identified herself only as J.
More than 2.700 people have been killed, 4.521 injured, and hundreds are still missing, Myanmar's military chief said.
Officials warn that the numbers will rise.
Residents of the country's second most populous city say they have spent sleepless nights wandering the streets in despair as food and water supplies run out.
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Poor infrastructure and a political situation affected by civil war are further hampering relief efforts in the country, where the military has a history of containing national disasters of all sizes.
The death toll is expected to continue to rise as rescuers gain access to more collapsed buildings and cut off districts.
Jay, who lives in Mandalay's Mahaungmyay district, felt "dizziness from sleep deprivation," she said.
Many residents are living out of tents - or nothing at all - along the streets, fearing that what's left of their homes won't withstand aftershocks.
"I saw many people squatting and crying loudly in the streets. So did I,"
The survivors are still in the city.
The fire department said it had rescued 403 people and recovered 259 bodies in the past four days.
It is assumed that the true number of victims is much higher than the official version provided by the military junta.
Min Aung Hlaing, the military chief, said in a televised address that the death toll could exceed 3.000, but the US Geological Survey said it was "more realistic to say more than 10.000 dead," based on the location and magnitude of the quake.
Watch video of earthquakes in Myanmar and Thailand: Plane swayed, water overflowed from a swimming pool on top of a building
Children are particularly traumatized by the disaster.
The eight-year-old son of a local priest has been crying for the past few days after watching buildings collapse in their neighborhood.
"He was in the upstairs bedroom when the ground shook, my wife was taking care of our younger daughter, and some debris fell on him as well."
"We saw bodies being carried out from the surrounding collapsed buildings," Ruate told the BBC.
"Myanmar has been hit by many disasters, both natural and man-made."
"Everyone is just tired. We feel hopeless and helpless," he added.
The monk lives in Peygitagon, near the Will Sky complex, one of the hardest-hit buildings - exactly half of the 12 floors collapsed in the earthquake.
He told the BBC that in the last 24 hours "only dead bodies have been recovered".
"I hope it all ends soon."
"Many bodies are still inside, more than a hundred," he added.
Crematoriums near Mandalay are overflowing, while authorities are running out of body bags and supplies for survivors, including food and drinking water.
The streets are lined with the remains of crumbled pagodas and golden towers.
The city was once a center for the production of gold bars and a popular tourist destination.
As in other parts of Myanmar, the poverty rate in Mandalay has been increasing in recent years.
The earthquake hit both Thailand and China, but its impact is particularly disastrous in Myanmar, destroyed bloody civil war, a crippled economy and widespread disillusionment since the military took power in a coup in 2021.
Myanmar has declared seven days of national mourning.
The junta requested that flags be lowered to half-mast, that the media suspend programs, and asked people to pay their respects.
Even before the earthquake, more than 3,5 million people were displaced within the country.
Thousands more, many of them young people, have fled abroad to avoid forced conscription, meaning there are currently fewer people in the country to help with humanitarian work and the subsequent reconstruction of the country.
Russia and China, which have helped prop up Myanmar's military regime, are among the countries that have sent aid and rescue teams.
"(The rescue teams) have been working non-stop for days and they are tired. They need a break."
"But because the damage is so extensive and our resources are limited, it's simply difficult for aid workers to effectively manage such massive destruction," says a girl named J.
While the junta says any help is welcome, some aid workers have reported problems accessing areas affected by the earthquake.
Local media in Sagaing, the epicenter of the earthquake, are reporting that military authorities have imposed restrictions and are asking organizations to submit lists of volunteers and items they want to bring into the area.
Several human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch) and Amnesty International (Amnesty International), called on the junta to allow humanitarian workers to reach these areas.
"Myanmar's military junta continues to inspire fear, even after this horrific natural disaster that killed and injured thousands," said Briony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
"The junta should stop this horrific practice and ensure that humanitarian aid quickly reaches those whose lives are at risk in the earthquake-hit areas," she said.
Hunt is also being criticized for continuing to open fire on villages even in the days when the country is trying to recover from the disaster.
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