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Rescuers are desperately searching for survivors more than three days
after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, toppling
buildings as far away as the Thai capital Bangkok and sending tremors
through nearby Chinese provinces.

The first 72-hours after a quake are widely regarded as the “golden”
window to reach victims buried alive under rubble - after that period the chances of survival without a water source diminishes rapidly.

More than 2,000 people are now confirmed dead in Myanmar after what was
the largest earthquake to hit the war-ravaged country in more than a
century, authorities say. Experts fear the true death toll could take
weeks to emerge.

Gripping stories of survival and devastating accounts of loss are starting
to come out alongside reports of widespread damage.

The quake caused bridges and buildings to collapse, including in Bangkok,
where authorities are trying to free dozens believed to be trapped under
the rubble of an under construction high rise.

The epicenter was recorded in Myanmar’s central Sagaing region, near the
former royal capital Mandalay, home to around 1.5 million people, as well
as multiple historic temple complexes and palaces. Those at the epicenter
of the quake are largely cut off following the collapse of a key bridge
over the country’s Irrawaddy River, according to local officials.

Meanwhile, foreign aid and international rescue teams have started
arriving in Myanmar after the military junta issued a rare plea for help.

A US team is traveling to Myanmar, also known as Burma, after receiving a formal request for assistance from the junta government, according to the
state department.

Friday’s quake was the deadliest natural disaster to hit the country in
years and comes as Myanmar reels from a civil war that since 2021 has
damaged communication networks, battered health infrastructure and left millions without adequate food and shelter.

Myanmar observed a minute of silence at 12:51 p.m. local time Tuesday
(2:21 a.m. ET), the exact moment the earthquake struck on Friday, state-
run MRTV said.

Here’s what we know.

Massive human toll
At least 2,056 people are dead and more than 3,900 are injured, the
country’s military government said Monday. Nearly 300 others remain
missing.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimated that the final death
toll could surpass 10,000 people, based on early modeling.

In Bangkok, hundreds of miles from the epicenter, at least 20 people were killed.

Of these, 13 died after an under-construction building collapsed in
minutes, leaving dozens trapped under the rubble.

As of Tuesday morning, some families were still gathered at the site –
four days after the building’s collapse – holding onto hope that their
loved ones could be pulled out alive.

The earthquake was the most powerful to strike Myanmar since it was rocked
by a 7.9-magnitude temblor in 1912 in Taunggyi, a city also in central
Myanmar.

Seven fatalities were reported elsewhere in the capital, authorities said.

Aftershocks, the largest of which was a 6.7-magnitude tremor Friday,
continued throughout the weekend, according to the USGS.

The ruling military junta has marked March 31 to April 6 as national
mourning days, during which the national flag will fly at half-staff,
state-run MRTV said.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/30/asia/myanmar-thailand-earthquake-what- we-know-intl-hnk/index.html

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