More people have been rescued from the rubble over two days after a powerful earthquake struck Myanmar, where the death toll in the country now exceeds 1,700 with some indicators that it may rise further.

The survivors were found in the remains of a collapsed school building in the northern Sagaing region according to BBC reports. A body was also recovered, local fire service officials said.

Hundreds remain missing as search and rescue operations continue in both Myanmar and Thailand with international teams from China, India, Malaysia and Hong Kong among those working alongside local authorities in the rescue effort.

It is believed that Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Korea as well as a number of other teams from as far afield as New Zealand and Russia will also arrive in the coming hours.

Meanwhile, across Myanmar’s Eastern border in Bangkok, the death toll also continues to rise with the BBC reporting the number of confirmed deaths has risen to 18, with 76 workers still unaccounted for following the collapse on March 28 of a high-rise building under construction.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck near Mandalay on the same day, along the Sagaing fault but soft soil intensified the tremors hundreds of kilometres away in Bangkok contributing to the collapse. The BBC reports Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul as saying rescuers had detected signs of life beneath the rubble but warned they were weak. Thailand’s Industry Minister, Akanat Promphan, also confirmed that anomalies had been found in the steel used for the building’s construction, with samples being collected for further testing according to reports.

As rescue efforts continue, confusion reigns over conflicting reports suggesting the ruling junta in Myanmar is continuing air attacks against rebel groups in eastern Myanmar. The UN has condemned strikes supposedly taking place after the earthquake and while bno IntelliNews has confirmed an airstrike did occur several hours after the earthquake, claims that another strike by junta aircraft occurred on the afternoon of March 30 have not been verified.

However, in a bid for temporary peace while rescue efforts continue, The National Unity Government, which represents the ousted civilian administration, has announced a pause in offensive military operations, except for defensive actions, in earthquake-affected areas.