According to Myanmar's state broadcaster MRTV, the strong earthquake has caused more than 1,000 deaths and 2,376 injuries in Myanmar, with another 30 people missing. Military junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has ordered a swift launch of rescue operations in the affected areas.
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03-31, 2025The 7.7-magnitude earthquake shook the entire region, and neighboring Thailand is also continuing rescue efforts. In Thailand, a 30-story construction site collapsed, killing at least 3 people and trapping dozens more under the rubble.
According to Myanmar's official newspaper, The Global New Light of Myanmar, Min Aung Hlaing said that three aftershocks occurred after the main quake. In a speech to the nation, he mentioned, "The number of casualties is expected to rise further. Buildings have collapsed in some areas, and we are still conducting rescue operations in these areas."
Min Aung Hlaing declared a state of emergency in all affected areas and opened all possible channels to accept international aid. "Infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and buildings have been affected, resulting in civilian casualties. Search and rescue operations are currently underway in the affected areas."
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) prediction model estimates that the death toll in Myanmar could exceed 10,000, and the losses could exceed the country's gross domestic product. Susan Hough, a scientist with the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, told Reuters that it is difficult to predict the death toll from earthquakes for a variety of reasons, including the time factor.
Dr. Hough pointed out that if an earthquake occurs during the day, as was the case in Myanmar, "people are awake, they are clear-headed, and they are better able to react." She had previously participated in the local seismic monitoring network in Myanmar and said that the country's mix of modern and traditional buildings will also play a role. Traditional buildings are "probably not as deadly as concrete buildings."
U.S. geologists said this was the largest earthquake to hit Myanmar in more than a century, with enough power to severely damage buildings as far away as Bangkok, 1,000 kilometers away. The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar posted on Facebook that a 37-member Chinese rescue team arrived in Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar, early Saturday local time with medicines and life detection equipment.
Russian state news agency TASS reported that Russia said it would send 120 experienced rescuers, doctors, and search and rescue dogs. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had spoken with Myanmar officials and that his government would provide some assistance.
Thai authorities said nine people had died and 101 were missing in Bangkok, most of them workers trapped in the rubble after a skyscraper collapsed. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said, "We will do everything we can and never give up on saving lives, and we will use all resources." Excavators are clearing the rubble, and drones are searching for survivors.
Thailand's capital, Bangkok, came to a standstill on Friday due to the impact of the earthquake. Sittipunt said hundreds of people spent the night in city parks, but the situation is improving.
