Strong earthquakes recently struck Myanmar and neighboring Thailand, causing damage to buildings, bridges, and temples. Myanmar was severely affected, with at least 144 fatalities reported, and photos and videos from affected cities show widespread destruction. In Thailand's capital, Bangkok, an under-construction high-rise building collapsed, resulting in at least 10 deaths.
Read Also...:
Val Kilmer's cause of death, as Top Gun and Batman actor passes away aged 65
04-03, 2025
Anthony Albanese doesn't rule out taking US to World Trade Organisation over 'Liberation Day' tariffs
04-03, 2025
Medical engineers develop pacemaker so small it's dwarfed by a grain of rice
04-03, 2025
No explanation from White House why tiny Aussie island's tariffs are nearly triple the rest of Australia's
04-03, 2025The full extent of casualties and damage remains unclear, particularly in impoverished Myanmar. The country is currently embroiled in a civil war, and information is tightly controlled. Myanmar's military junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, stated in a televised address that the death toll and number of injured are expected to rise, with 144 deaths and 730 injuries confirmed in Myanmar so far.
After closing its borders during four years of civil war, Min Aung Hlaing declared a state of emergency and extended an "open invitation to any organizations and countries willing to help our people." The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in Thailand reported that a total of 10 people died, 16 were injured, and 101 are missing across three construction sites, including the collapsed high-rise.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck at midday, with its epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city. Aftershocks followed, one of which measured 6.4 in magnitude. Multiple buildings in Mandalay reportedly collapsed, including one of the city's largest temples. Photos from the capital, Naypyidaw, show rescue workers salvaging victims from the rubble of multiple civil servant dormitories.
The Myanmar government stated that blood is urgently needed in the most affected areas. Min Aung Hlaing indicated Myanmar's willingness to accept aid, a departure from previous government hesitancy in accepting foreign assistance. The United Nations has allocated $5 million to initiate relief efforts. However, with reports of roads cracked, bridges collapsed, and dams breached, concerns are mounting about how aid workers will reach areas already facing a humanitarian crisis.
Mohammad Reyaz, the International Rescue Committee's Myanmar director, stated, "We fear it could take weeks to understand the full scope of the damage caused by the earthquake." Myanmar lies on an active seismic zone, but many earthquakes occur in sparsely populated areas, unlike the cities affected on Friday. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the death toll could exceed 1,000.
The Myanmar English-language newspaper, The Global New Light of Myanmar, reported building collapses in five towns and the collapse of two bridges, including one on a crucial highway between Mandalay. A photo on the newspaper's website showed the wreckage of a sign reading "Emergency Department," reportedly part of the capital's main 1,000-bed hospital. Online videos showed monks in Mandalay streets filming the collapse of the multi-story Masoeyein monastery, and it is currently unclear if there were any injuries. The videos also showed damage to the former royal palace.
Christian Aid stated that its partners and staff on the ground reported that a dam in the city had burst, causing water levels to rise in low-lying areas. Residents in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, rushed out of their homes when the earthquake struck. In Naypyidaw, some houses partially collapsed, and rescue workers were seen moving bricks from piles of rubble. An injured man lay on a wheeled stretcher as another man fanned him in the hot weather.
Julie Mehigan of Christian Aid, who oversees affairs in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, said that in a country where many people are already struggling, "this disaster will be a crushing blow." She also stated, "Even before this heart-breaking earthquake, we knew that conflict and displacement had left countless people in a truly desperate situation."
Myanmar's military seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in February 2021 and is currently engaged in a bloody civil war against long-standing ethnic militias and newly formed pro-democracy militias. Government forces have lost control of large swaths of Myanmar, and many areas are extremely dangerous or inaccessible to aid organizations. According to United Nations statistics, more than 3 million people have been displaced by the fighting, and nearly 20 million are in need of assistance.
In Thailand, near Bangkok's popular Chatuchak Market, a 33-story building under construction collapsed into a cloud of dust, and videos posted on social media showed bystanders screaming and running away. Vehicles on a nearby highway came to a halt. Sirens echoed through the Thai capital's downtown as rescue workers rushed to the wreckage. Above them, shattered steel and broken chunks of concrete, some stacked like pancakes, formed a towering heap. The injured were carried away on stretchers, and hospital beds were pushed onto the sidewalks.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, after inspecting the site, stated, "This is a huge tragedy," adding that there was still hope of finding survivors. The city's elevated rapid transit system and subway have been shut down. While the region is prone to earthquakes, they are usually of low magnitude and rarely felt in the Thai capital. The greater Bangkok area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.
Voranut Tinnawat, a lawyer working in downtown Bangkok, said that she first realized something was wrong because she saw a lamp swaying back and forth. Then she heard the building creaking, and she and her colleagues fled down 12 flights of stairs. "In my entire life, there has never been an earthquake like this in Bangkok," she said.
Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, was in one of Bangkok's many shopping malls when the earthquake struck. "Suddenly, the whole building started moving. Immediately, there were screams and a lot of panic," he said. He said that some people fled down escalators that were moving upward. Nearby, Paul Vincent, a tourist from England, recalled seeing a high-rise building swaying, water falling from a rooftop swimming pool, and people crying in the streets.
The U.S. Geological Survey and the German Research Center for Geosciences stated that, according to preliminary reports, the earthquake was a shallow one, with a depth of 10 kilometers. Shallow earthquakes tend to cause greater damage. The earthquake was also felt in China's Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and caused damage and injuries in the city of Ruili, which borders Myanmar, according to Chinese media reports. A video released by one media outlet showed construction debris scattered on the streets of Ruili, and an injured person being carried on a stretcher toward an ambulance. A resident told the online news outlet The Paper that the tremors were strong in Mangshi, about 100 kilometers northeast of Ruili, and people were unable to stand.
