The death toll from a powerful earthquake in Myanmar has exceeded 1,600, people with more than 3,400 people injured, authorities reported on Sunday. International aid has begun arriving, with China and India sending food, blankets, and rescue teams equipped with drones and other technology to assist search efforts.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck just outside Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, on Friday afternoon, affecting large parts of the region. Areas near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north-south through central Myanmar, suffered severe devastation. Mandalay was particularly hard hit, with many buildings reduced to rubble. The city’s main hospital was overwhelmed, forcing patients to seek care outside.
Several hundred persons still missing
Residents scrambled desperately through collapsed buildings on Sunday searching for survivors as aftershocks rattled the devastated city of Mandalay, two days after a massive earthquake killed more than 1,600 people in Myanmar and at least 18 in neighbouring Thailand.
The initial 7.7-magnitude quake struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock.
The tremors collapsed buildings, downed bridges, and buckled roads, causing mass destruction in the city of more than 1.7 million people, the country’s second-largest.
One rescue worker said most operations in the city were being conducted by small, self-organised resident groups that lacked the required equipment.
Despite previous cuts to foreign aid, President Trump announced that the United States would assist. Other nations, including Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea, have also sent aid in the form of rescue teams, equipment, and financial support.
The earthquake’s tremors were felt as far away as Bangladesh, Vietnam, and southern China. In Ruili, a Chinese city near the Myanmar border, local state media reported injuries. The quake also caused a high-rise under construction in Bangkok—600 miles away—to collapse, sending debris and dust into the air.
Key Developments:
Limited Communication: Myanmar’s military junta has frequently restricted internet access and social media to suppress dissent, cutting the country off digitally from the outside world.
Seismic Activity: Myanmar is in a highly active earthquake zone. A 6.8-magnitude quake in eastern Myanmar in 2011 killed over 70 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings.
Aid Challenges: Decades of isolation and ongoing internal conflict complicate efforts to deliver humanitarian aid. Civil war and logistical obstacles may hinder relief efforts from reaching those most in need.
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Veteran Journalist
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