3 weeks ago
Rescue operations in Myanmar are currently concentrated in Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, and the capital, Naypyitaw.
Rescue workers try to retrieve the body of a victim trapped in the rubble of a damaged temple in Mandalay. (Image: AFP)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Mar 30, 2025 11:52 IST
In Short
Over 3,400 people have been injured in the disaster, 139 missingIndia sends aid under 'Operation Brahma', Russia, China follow suitDeath toll in neighbouring Thailand soars to 17, 10 killed in BangkokRescuers are racing against time to locate survivors as Myanmar’s death toll from Friday’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake soared to 1,644, with at least 17 more killed in neighbouring Thailand. The scale of destruction continues to grow, with collapsed buildings, downed bridges, and buckled roads across the affected regions.
Amid the devastation, Myanmar's shadow Unity Government (NUG) announced a unilateral partial ceasefire of the ongoing civil war in the country to facilitate relief efforts. The number of injured climbed to 3,408, while 139 people remain missing, according to news agency Associated Press. Authorities have also warned that the toll could rise further as search operations continue.
All you need to know about Myanmar, Thiland quakes:
Residents in Mandalay, the worst-hit city, scrambled desperately through the rubble on Sunday, searching for survivors as aftershocks rattled the area. The initial quake, centered near Mandalay, was followed minutes later by a powerful 6.7-magnitude aftershock, causing mass devastation in the city of 1.7 million people.
Win Lwin, a local tea shop owner, picked through the remains of a collapsed restaurant, tossing bricks aside. "About seven people died here. I'm looking for more bodies, but I know there cannot be any survivors," news agency AFP quoted him as saying.
Amid the crisis, Myanmar's shadow Unity Government (NUG) announced a two-week partial ceasefire in quake-affected regions starting Sunday to facilitate relief efforts which are being aided by India, China and Russia.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has warned that Myanmar lacks the medical equipment needed to respond effectively, while aid agencies said the country is unprepared for a disaster of this scale. Even before the quake, Myanmar was already in turmoil, with the civil war displacing 3.5 million people and leaving many at risk of hunger.
In Thailand, the earthquake triggered the collapse of a 30-story skyscraper under construction in Bangkok, killing at least 17 and injuring 32. Another 83 people remain missing, believed to be trapped under the wreckage near the popular Chatuchak weekend market. Rescue workers used mechanical diggers, sniffer dogs, and thermal imaging drones in a desperate effort to find survivors.
Published By:
Sahil Sinha
Published On:
Mar 30, 2025
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