Myanmar earthquake death toll reaches 1,644

KATHMANDU: A powerful earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday, leaving at least 1,644 people dead, according to the country’s military junta. In addition, 2,389 people have been injured, and 30 are missing.

Rescue and search operations are ongoing, and the death toll is expected to rise.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the Mandalay region, where 1,591 homes were damaged.

At least 90 people were trapped in a building in the region, according to BBC.

The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.7, struck the northwest of Myanmar’s Sagaing city on Friday afternoon.

Shortly after, a second earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 hit the same region, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

In response to the disaster, Myanmar’s military government has set up temporary hospitals and relief camps at Mandalay airport.

The airport has been closed due to damage to the runway, but the military is working to resume flights.

In the capital, Naypyidaw, security and technical teams are working to restore power, phone, and internet services that were disrupted, as reported by CBS News. The military government has imposed strict control over domestic information since seizing power in 2021, making it difficult to get accurate details about the earthquake.

The earthquake also affected neighboring Thailand, where at least 10 people were killed in the capital, Bangkok.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reported that at least 15 people trapped under rubble are being rescued, and around 100 people are missing.

Despite the earthquake, six airports in Thailand, including those in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Chiang Rai, and Phuket, have resumed operations.

Thai Prime Minister Phetongtarn Shinawatra confirmed that the country has returned to normal after the devastating earthquake, which also caused the collapse of a building under construction in Bangkok.

Following the earthquake, Myanmar’s military government declared a state of emergency in six regions and issued an appeal for international assistance.

In response, help has already begun to arrive. Myanmar’s military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, visited hospitals treating the injured and expressed hope for further international aid. Within 24 hours, countries like China had already sent help to Myanmar.

The first international rescue team to reach Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, was from China.

The Chinese team, which included over 135 rescuers and experts along with medical kits and generators, has already arrived.

Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing over the phone and announced a donation of 100 million yuan (approximately 13 million USD) in humanitarian aid. China is one of Myanmar’s largest trade partners and has strong ties with the military government.

Russia has also sent a rescue team consisting of 120 personnel, including dogs for search operations, psychologists, and experts.

India has sent immediate humanitarian aid and rescue and medical teams, as confirmed by Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on social media.

Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia have also pledged to send rescue teams, as reported by CNN.

The United Nations has allocated $5 million in relief funds, while South Korea has committed $2 million in humanitarian assistance through international agencies.

Malaysia is sending a rescue team on Sunday, and U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his commitment to providing all possible support.

The military junta in Myanmar, which seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, has been engaged in a brutal civil war with insurgent groups and pro-democracy forces.

Despite the earthquake, the military has continued its attacks, conducting airstrikes in the Karenni (Kayin) and southern Shan states, which border the Mandalay region affected by the quake.

According to David Eubank, the founder of Free Burma Rangers, a humanitarian organization providing assistance in Myanmar since the 1990s, many of the villages in these areas have already been destroyed by the military, which may have reduced the overall impact of the earthquake.

In northern Shan, just minutes after the earthquake, an airstrike on a rebel-controlled village killed seven rebels.

The attack also destroyed five buildings, including a school, as reported by Mai Ruko, the editor of the Shwe Fee May News Agency in Shan, citing an AP report.