Search and rescue volunteers from LA County help with earthquake relief after arriving in Bangkok

BANGKOK (KABC) -- Search and rescue volunteers from Los Angeles County arrived in Bangkok on Monday to help with recovery efforts at the site of collapsed, 30-story building, where at least 74 people were missing following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake.

As crews continued digging for survivors through the rubble left behind by the deadly earthquake centered in nearby Myanmar, hope faded with the death toll at more than 3,000.

Rescue efforts were turning into recovery operations.

The was shaking from the earthquake was strongly felt in Bangkok, which is located more than 800 miles away from the epicenter.

American actor Bill Kirchenbauer, described the structures in Thailand's capital, where he lived with his wife. She was home at the time.

"Bangkok is full of big, tall building. Some of them are old, some of them are brand new, like my condominium, and they built them to the European standards," Kirchenbauer said in an interview. "In our building, which was built about 10 years ago, there has been some cracking. Nothing major, but my wife says that there was some cement that came off the outside, decorative cement and stuff, and she had to immediately evacuate the building."

Two miles north of Kirchenbauer's building, there was devastation. A 30-story government building that had been under construction collapsed, killing at least 13 people.

A volunteer search and rescue team from L.A. County arrived to work alongside the Royal Thai Police. The group under the nonprofit "6:8," which has received training from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, was helping with recovery efforts.

On Tuesday, the consul-general of Thailand in Los Angeles, Tor Saralamba, said the government was investigating what happened at the construction site and said 74 people remained unaccounted for.

Saralamba expressed gratitude for help arriving from the U.S.

"I also learned that there's a group of first responders from Los Angeles led by Mr. Mike Leum, arrived in Bangkok yesterday, and they are now joined force with the search and rescue team at the site," Saralamba said. "The joined force with the local and international team and they work around the clock at the moment, so we thank you for all of them who are helping in this difficult time."

The consul-general said Thailand sent humanitarian aid to their neighbors, adding that fortunately their country was not as devastated by the earthquake. He assured tourists that Thailand remained fully operational.

Myanmar's military declares a ceasefire

On Wednesday, Myanmar's ruling military declared a temporary ceasefire in the country's civil war to facilitate relief efforts following the earthquake.

The surprise announcement by military leaders who also head the unelected government came late Wednesday on state television MRTV, which said the halt in fighting would run until April 22 to show compassion for people affected by Friday's quake.

The announcement followed unilateral temporary ceasefires announced by armed resistance groups opposed to military rule, and the military warned that those groups must refrain from attacking the state and regrouping, or else face "necessary" measures.

The resistance forces have also reserved the right to fight in self-defense.

Earlier Wednesday, rescuers pulled two men alive from the ruins of a hotel in Myanmar's capital, a third from a guesthouse in another city, and another in the country's second city, Mandalay, five days after the quake. But most teams were finding only bodies.

The quake hit midday Friday, toppling thousands of buildings, collapsing bridges and buckling roads. The death toll rose to 3,003 on Wednesday, with more than 4,500 people injured, MRTV reported. Local reports suggest much higher figures.

The quake worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis due to Myanmar's civil war. More than 3 million people had been displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million were in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.