The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar and parts of Thailand has risen to over 1,600, with rescuers still searching for survivors in collapsed buildings.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar on Friday afternoon, followed by a strong aftershock of 6.7 magnitude. The disaster caused widespread destruction, especially in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city. Bridges collapsed, roads cracked, and buildings were reduced to rubble.
“We need aid,” said Thar Aye, a 68-year-old Mandalay resident. “We don’t have enough of anything.”
According to Myanmar’s ruling military, at least 1,644 people have died, with more than 3,400 injured and at least 139 still missing. Around 10 deaths were also reported in Bangkok, Thailand.
In Mandalay, emergency workers rescued a 30-year-old woman, Phyu Lay Khaing, from the rubble of the Sky Villa Condominium, which partially collapsed. Many more people are feared to be trapped.
Min Min Khine, a 56-year-old staff cook at the building, is still searching for her missing son.
“We cannot find him yet. I only have this child—I feel so heartbroken,” she said. “He ate at my dining room and said goodbye. Then the earthquake happened. If he was with me, he might have escaped like me.”
Myanmar’s military leader, Min Aung Hlaing, has made a rare appeal for international aid, acknowledging the severity of the disaster. The military government has often rejected foreign assistance in the past, even after natural disasters.
India has already sent emergency supplies, while China has sent more than 80 rescuers and pledged $13.8 million in aid. The United States has also offered assistance.
With over 3.5 million people already displaced due to ongoing civil war, aid agencies have warned that Myanmar is not equipped to handle a disaster of this scale.
The earthquake’s impact was also felt in Thailand, where a 30-storey building under construction in Bangkok collapsed.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt confirmed that eight people had died and at least eight had been rescued. However, 79 people are still missing.
“I can’t describe how I feel—it happened in the blink of an eye,” said construction worker Khin Aung, who survived the collapse. “All my friends and my brother were in the building when it collapsed. I don’t have any words to say.”
Rescue teams are using sniffer dogs and thermal imaging drones to find survivors. City authorities have also deployed over 100 engineers to inspect damaged buildings.
With communications down in many areas, the full extent of the damage is still unknown, and the death toll is expected to rise further.
