Almost 700 dead, rescuers search for survivors as earthquake hits Myanmar, Thailand: Top developments

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A powerful earthquake struck Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on Friday, destroying buildings, a bridge, and a dam. At least 694 people were killed in Myanmar, where photos and videos from two cities showed widespread damage. In Thailand, at least eight people died in the capital, where a high-rise building under construction collapsed.

Here’s what we know so far

The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7, with its epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. A strong aftershock of 6.4 magnitude followed. The full extent of casualties and destruction was not immediately clear, especially in Myanmar, one of the world’s poorest countries, where information is tightly controlled and the country is engaged in a civil war.

Myanmar’s Junta said on Saturday that at least 694 people had been killed and 1,670 others injured. “The death toll and injuries are expected to rise,” the Junta had said on Friday.

Photos from the capital, Naypyidaw, showed several government housing buildings destroyed, with rescue workers pulling victims from the debris. Myanmar’s government reported a high demand for blood donations in the worst-affected areas. Images showed cracked and damaged roads in Mandalay, a collapsed bridge, and damage to a dam, raising concerns about how rescue workers would be able to reach certain areas. Myanmar is already facing a humanitarian crisis, making response efforts more challenging.

In Bangkok, a 33-story building under construction collapsed near the Chatuchak market. A crane was on top of the structure when it crumpled into a cloud of dust. A video posted on social media showed people screaming and running as the building fell. The sound of sirens filled central Bangkok, and heavy traffic led to gridlocked streets. The elevated rapid transit system and the subway were shut down.

While there was no widespread destruction, the shaking brought some dramatic images of rooftop swimming pools sloshing their contents down the side of many of the city’s towering apartment blocks and hotels.

The area where the earthquake occurred is seismically active, but earthquakes of this size are not common. It is rare for tremors to be felt in Bangkok, which sits on a river delta and has a moderate earthquake risk.

In Bangkok, at least three people were killed in the collapse, and 90 others were missing, according to Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. He did not provide further details on the rescue operations, but first responders reported rescuing seven people from the site.

At least two of the dead were construction workers who were struck by falling debris, according to rescue worker Songwut Wangpon. The building was being constructed by the China Railway Construction Corporation for Thailand’s government auditor general.

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Rescue teams were searching through the debris of collapsed buildings on Saturday, trying to find survivors.

According to US geologists, it was the strongest earthquake to hit Myanmar in over a century.

In the Thai capital, rescuers worked overnight to locate workers trapped under the remains of a 30-story building under construction. The structure collapsed within seconds, leaving behind a heap of rubble and twisted metal due to the force of the quake.

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Authorities in Bangkok declared the city a disaster area to allow a coordinated response. The metropolitan area has a population of more than 17 million, with many people living in high-rise apartments.

India will send more than 15 tonnes of relief materials to Myanmar after a series of strong earthquakes, news agency PTI reported.

The relief supplies will be transported on an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130J aircraft from Air Force Station Hindon.

The package includes tents, sleeping bags, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, water purifiers, hygiene kits, solar lamps, generator sets, and essential medicines such as paracetamol, antibiotics, syringes, gloves, and bandages.

The US Geological Survey and Germany’s GFZ geosciences center reported that the earthquake was at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to preliminary findings. Shallower earthquakes tend to cause more destruction.

In Mandalay, multiple buildings were damaged, including the Ma Soe Yane monastery, one of the city’s largest, and the former royal palace. A video posted online showed monks in the street filming the monastery just before it collapsed. It was not immediately known if anyone was harmed.

In the Sagaing region, southwest of Mandalay, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed. Some sections of the highway linking Mandalay and Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, were also damaged.

Myanmar’s military took power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The country is now in a civil war involving long-established armed groups and newly formed pro-democracy forces.

Government forces have lost control of many areas in Myanmar, making them difficult or impossible for aid groups to access. The United Nations estimates that more than 3 million people have been displaced due to the fighting, and nearly 20 million people are in need of assistance.

The Red Cross reported that downed power lines made it more difficult for their teams to reach some affected locations.

Myanmar’s government declared a state of emergency in six regions and states, including Naypyidaw and Mandalay. It was unclear what the declaration would mean since the entire country has been under a state of emergency since 2021.

To the northeast, in China, the earthquake was felt in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. The city of Ruili, which is on the border with Myanmar, experienced damage to houses, and some people were injured, according to Chinese media reports.

Videos that one media outlet said came from Ruili showed debris covering a street and a person being transported on a stretcher to an ambulance.

The shaking in Mangshi, a city about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Ruili, was so strong that people could not stand, a resident told The Paper, an online news outlet.

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