The surprise announcement by the unelected government said the halt in fighting would run until April 22 to show compassion for people affected by last week's quake.

It was unclear whether the cease-fire would be honored. It came a day after soldiers fired at a Chinese Red Cross aid convoy, and amid multiple airstrikes.

Rescue workers, sniffer dogs, paramedics and millions of dollars in aid have begun arriving in Myanmar after a massive earthquake ravaged much of the war-torn country. About 2,000 people have so far been reported dead following Friday's magnitude 7.