Myanmar earthquake death toll rises to 1,644 as international aid efforts intensify
Rescuers search for survivors, after earthquake struck central Myanmar, amid the rubble of the collapsed Sky Villa Condominium building in Mandalay, Myanmar on March 29, 2025. (AFP Photo)
The death toll from Myanmar’s devastating earthquakes has climbed to 1,644, with 3,408 injured, state media reported Saturday.
According to MRTV, 68 people remain missing across the country as rescue and relief efforts accelerate in Myanmar and neighboring Thailand following Friday’s powerful quakes.
International aid arrives
China sent a team aboard a China Eastern Airlines flight carrying 37 rescuers and five tons of medical supplies, tents, and blankets, which landed in Yangon on Saturday morning.
India delivered 15 tons of relief materials, including tents, sleeping bags, ready-to-eat meals, water purifiers, hygiene kits, medicines, and medical equipment.
Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry dispatched two aircraft with 120 specialists, including anesthesiologists, psychologists, K9 search units, and rescue personnel.
The U.N. allocated an initial $5 million emergency fund for earthquake aid while assessing additional needs, according to a spokesperson.
🔴 #UPDATE — Another video from Mandalay, Myanmar, shows collapsed buildings after powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake pic.twitter.com/KaZNfF0NQr
— Türkiye Today (@turkiyetodaycom) March 28, 2025
Impact in Myanmar and Thailand
Authorities in neighboring Thailand reported that 11 provinces were affected, with eight dead and 101 missing after a skyscraper in Bangkok collapsed.
In Myanmar, at least 50 mosques collapsed during Friday prayers, killing nearly 300 worshippers, according to Khit Thit News.
Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, and other nations have expressed solidarity and offered aid.
Myanmar’s junta appeals for aid
Myanmar’s junta chief, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, visited the hardest-hit areas in the Mandalay region, state-run MRTV reported. In a rare move, the junta has appealed to the international community for humanitarian assistance.
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar’s Sagaing region on Friday, followed by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock 12 minutes later, according to the US Geological Survey.
