Bangkok | Saturday | March 29, 2025
A powerful earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand on Friday, leaving over 150 dead and hundreds injured, with many still trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings. The death toll is expected to climb. The 7.7-magnitude quake hit northwest of Sagaing in central Myanmar early in the afternoon, followed by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock minutes later. The tremor leveled buildings, destroyed bridges, and cracked roads across Myanmar, even toppling a 30-story skyscraper under construction in Bangkok, hundreds of kilometers away.
As the scale of the disaster unfolds, Myanmar’s leader, facing the strain of an ongoing civil war, made a rare appeal for international assistance. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing reported that 144 people had been killed and 732 injured, warning that the numbers were likely to rise.
Thailand has confirmed eight deaths so far, with more expected. “I would like to invite any country, any organization, or anyone in Myanmar to come and help. Thank you,” Min Aung Hlaing said in a televised address after visiting a hospital in Naypyidaw. He called for large-scale relief efforts and announced that Myanmar had “opened all channels for foreign aid.” US President Donald Trump stated that Washington would be providing assistance.
‘Mass casualty area ‘
Four years of civil war, triggered by the military’s takeover, have severely weakened Myanmar’s infrastructure and healthcare system, leaving the country poorly equipped to handle a disaster of this scale. Power outages have affected parts of Yangon, the country’s largest city, according to the local utility. In response to the quake, Myanmar declared a state of emergency across the six hardest-hit regions.
Hundreds of casualties have flooded into a major hospital in Naypyidaw, where the emergency department entrance collapsed on a car. Medics were forced to treat the wounded outside the building, the same hospital visited by the junta chief. One official described it as a “mass casualty area.”
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. We’re trying to handle the situation, but I’m so exhausted now,” a doctor told AFP. Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, also suffered severe damage. AFP photos showed multiple buildings in ruins, and a local resident reported that a hospital and a hotel had been destroyed. The city is struggling with a shortage of rescue workers.
The main bridge connecting Mandalay and Sagaing has collapsed, and the city’s university and historic palace wall have crumbled. Telecom services have also been disrupted, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Skyscraper collapse
Across the border in Thailand, a 30-story skyscraper under construction collapsed into a twisted pile of rubble and dust within seconds. Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed that eight bodies had been recovered, with between 90 and 110 people still unaccounted for, warning that the death toll is likely to rise. “We can see several bodies under the rubble. It will take time to retrieve them safely to avoid further collapses,” he told reporters.
“I heard people calling for help, saying ‘help me’,” said Worapat Sukthai, deputy police chief of Bang Sue district, speaking to AFP. As night fell, around 100 rescue workers gathered at the site, working under floodlights to search for survivors.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visited the scene and announced that “every building” in Bangkok would need a safety inspection, though details on how that would be conducted remain unclear. An emergency zone was declared in Bangkok, with some metro and light rail services suspended. The streets were crowded with commuters trying to walk home or taking shelter in mall and office building entrances. City officials announced that parks would stay open overnight for those unable to return home.
Strong earthquakes are extremely rare in Thailand. Across Bangkok and the northern tourist city of Chiang Mai, shocked residents scrambled outside, unsure how to react. “This is the strongest tremor I’ve experienced in my life,” said Sai, 76, who ran out of a minimart in Chiang Mai as the ground shook.
The quake’s impact was felt across the region, with tremors reported in China, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and India. India, France, and the European Union have offered to send aid, while the World Health Organization said it was preparing to deliver trauma care supplies. Pope Francis expressed his condolences, saying he was “deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread devastation” in a statement from the Vatican.
Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar. A 6.8-magnitude quake in the ancient capital of Bagan in 2016 killed three people and caused spires and temple walls at the historic site to collapse.