- A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, killing over 1,000 people.
- Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, suffered extensive damage.
- Six deaths and 47 missing reported in Bangkok due to a collapsed building.
- Myanmar’s junta declared a state of emergency and appealed for international aid.
- Rescue efforts are hindered by ongoing conflict and logistical challenges.
Myanmar Earthquake Death Toll Surpasses 1,000
A devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday afternoon, followed by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock, resulting in a death toll exceeding 1,000. The quake caused extensive damage in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, where buildings, religious sites, and roads were destroyed or severely damaged. Myanmar’s military junta reported 1,002 deaths, 2,376 injuries, and 30 missing persons. The tremors were felt as far as Bangkok, Thailand, where a high-rise building under construction collapsed, killing six people and leaving 47 missing.
Rescue Efforts and Challenges
Rescue operations are underway in both Myanmar and Thailand, but efforts are hampered by logistical challenges and ongoing conflict in Myanmar. The junta’s chief, Min Aung Hlaing, issued a rare appeal for international aid, declaring a state of emergency in the six worst-affected regions. Humanitarian agencies, already strained by funding cuts and Myanmar’s internal conflict, face significant hurdles in delivering aid. Michael Dunford, the World Food Programme’s country director, described the situation as “highly complex” and warned that the true scale of the damage may take weeks to assess.
Impact on Bangkok
In Bangkok, authorities are using drones with thermal-imaging technology to search for survivors in the collapsed high-rise building. The city has been declared a disaster area, with over 100 engineers inspecting more than 2,000 reported cases of building damage. The earthquake’s tremors were powerful enough to cause structural damage across the Thai capital, hundreds of miles from the epicenter.
Myanmar’s Ongoing Crisis
Since the 2021 military coup, Myanmar has been embroiled in conflict, with the junta struggling to maintain control over large parts of the country. The junta has been accused of blocking humanitarian aid to areas where its opponents are active, further complicating relief efforts. The earthquake is the largest to hit Myanmar in over a century, according to US geologists, and has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation.
Witness Accounts
Witnesses in Mandalay described scenes of chaos and destruction. Ko Ko, a resident, recounted seeing a hospital collapse “like waffle sheets crumbling” during the aftershock. Many residents are sleeping on the streets, fearing further building collapses. In Bangkok, panic ensued as people fled buildings, with some hotel guests seen in bathrobes and swimming costumes as water cascaded from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel.