29th. March. 2025 Myanmar, Thailand, Bangkok. More than 1,000 people have been killed in Myanmar and thousands more injured after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake the day before that was also felt in neighbouring countries.
The death toll, at 1,002, was confirmed by BBC citing the country’s Army. Most of the fatalities are in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, and the region closest to the earthquake’s epicentre.
Rescue workers are still scrambling to find survivors in Myanmar and in Thailand. The quake had destroyed buildings, downed bridges, and buckled roads across various regions of Myanmar. Rescuers in the Thai capital Bangkok are also fighting through rubble for workers trapped when a 30-storey skyscraper under construction collapsed. Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said that about 10 people had been confirmed killed across the city, most in the skyscraper collapse. But up to 100 workers were still unaccounted for at the building, close to the Chatuchak weekend market that is a magnet for tourists.
Myanmar’s military regime has opened a temporary hospital and relief camp at Mandalay Airport, though it has not specified its capacity, reported BBC. The airport remains non-functional due to runway damage, but efforts are underway to resume flights. Meanwhile, Airports of Thailand confirmed that operations at six major airports, including Bangkok and Chiang Mai, have returned to normal, as per BBC.
Rescue workers in Mandalay are struggling to reach seven people trapped under a collapsed high-rise building following the powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar’s second-largest city. A rescuer involved in the operation said 50 people had been pulled from the rubble overnight, as per BBC. However, more than 24 hours after the quake, several remain trapped.
“We are still trying to pull out the rest of the trapped people, but we need large machines. They are still shouting, and we can still hear their voices, but we can’t know where they are,” the rescue worker said, as per BBC. Calling for urgent assistance, they added, “If we can get the support of those big machines, we can remove the damage and then pull out the trapped people.”
According to US Geological Survey (USGS) data, a total 15 earthquakes were recorded in Myanmar within 10 hours on Friday, starting with the massive 7,7 magnitude trembler that struck the country at 06:20:54 (UTC).
The most powerful aftershock was measured at Magnitude 6.7, occurring at 06:32:04 (UTC), according to USGS.
Approximately 15 tonnes of relief material is being sent to Myanmar on an IAF C 130 J aircraft from Hindon air force station. The relief material includes tents, sleeping bags, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, water purifiers, hygiene kits, solar lamps, generator sets, essential Medicines (Paracetamol, antibiotics, canula, syringes, gloves, cotton bandages, urine bags, etc), according to sources cited by news agency ANI.
Myanmar’s military leader on Friday appealed for international aid to cater to the aftermath of the powerful earthquake that has killed at least 144 people, a toll the country expects will go up as rescue efforts continue.
The earthquake and multiple aftershock, also affected neighboring Thailand, China, and Vietnam. In Thailand, authorities said at least 10 people were killed and more than 100 missing after a building under construction collapsed.
“In some areas, buildings collapsed so rescue efforts are still under way,” Bloomberg quoted junta chief Min Aung Hlaing as saying in a video speech on state broadcaster MRTV. “As we carry out extensive rescue and relief efforts, I would like to request help,” he added.
In Thailand, where a 33-story building under construction was reduced to rubble near Bangkok’s popular Chatuchak market due to the impact of the Myanmar earthquake, death toll has reportedly reached 10.
Authorities in Bangkok said 10 people were killed, 16 injured and 101 missing from three construction sites, including the high-rise.