A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, killing at least 1,002 people, collapsing infrastructure, and prompting a rare appeal for international assistance from the country's military government, according to state media.
The quake, one of the most severe to hit Southeast Asia in decades, originated near Sagaing and caused widespread destruction across the Mandalay region and eastern Shan state. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit at a shallow depth of six miles, triggering severe shaking in a 125-mile corridor. A 6.4-magnitude aftershock followed minutes later.
State-run television announced that more than 2,000 people were injured, while over 2,900 buildings, 30 roads and seven bridges had been damaged, according to a statement from the National Unity Government (NUG), a shadow administration composed of ousted civilian leaders.
"Due to significant damage, Naypyitaw and Mandalay international airports are temporarily closed," the NUG said.
The control tower at Naypyitaw International Airport collapsed, leaving it inoperable, a person familiar with the situation told Reuters. Rescue efforts across Mandalay have been severely hampered by limited manpower, equipment shortages, and the ongoing civil conflict that has engulfed Myanmar since the 2021 military coup.
"Many people are trapped but there is no help coming just simply because there isn't manpower or equipment or vehicles," a Mandalay resident told Reuters by phone.
In Mandalay, survivors were seen digging through rubble with bare hands as fires broke out in damaged buildings. Rescue efforts have been complicated by downed power lines and ongoing fighting in contested regions.
"The Chairman of the State Administration Council instructed authorities to expedite search and rescue efforts and address any urgent needs," Myanmar's military-led government said in a statement on Saturday, referring to junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.
Foreign aid began arriving Saturday after the junta's rare public appeal for help. China pledged $13.77 million in aid, including tents, blankets and medical kits. Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with Min Aung Hlaing by phone, according to China's embassy in Myanmar. Relief supplies from India also arrived via military aircraft in Yangon, and the government said it would dispatch ships carrying an additional 40 tons of aid.
Russia, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea also announced aid packages. ASEAN said in a statement, "ASEAN stands ready to support relief and recovery efforts."
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said, "The government of Myanmar has asked for international support and our team in Myanmar is already in contact in order to fully mobilize our resources in the region to support the people of Myanmar." U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher announced an initial $5 million allocation.
Chris Eades, regional Asia representative for Church World Service, told NPR: "Even before the earthquake happened, things were incredibly difficult. There are enforced Internet blackouts in the minority ethnic areas ... So getting any information into and out of those areas or getting [them help] quickly and effectively is very difficult to do."
He added, Myanmar has a history of "[restricting] the operations of NGOs and the U.N., who are most capable of providing assistance and still continues to restrict their movement, their communications and their funding."
In Bangkok, more than 1,000 km from the epicenter, a 33-story high-rise under construction collapsed during the quake, killing at least 10 and leaving over 100 workers trapped or missing, Thai authorities confirmed. Among the missing were migrant workers from Myanmar.
Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters, "We always have hope. We're still working around the clock."
Chanpen Kaewnoi, 39, said she rushed to the site after learning her mother and sister were working at the construction site. "I called my sister, but no matter how many times I tried to call her there was no connection," she told reporters.
Sirichok Saelee, a 28-year-old office worker in Bangkok, described the moment the quake hit: "At first, I didn't know what was going on. I felt dizzy, like I wanted to throw up. Then the building started shaking hard, and I could see the glass windows moving."
According to Anek Siripanichgorn of the Council of Engineers Thailand, up to 5,000 buildings across Bangkok may have sustained damage. "We are going through hundreds of cases. If we see cases where there is potential danger, we will immediately send engineers," he said.
The U.S. Geological Survey's modeling estimates the death toll in Myanmar could exceed 10,000, with economic losses surpassing the country's annual output, deepening an already dire humanitarian crisis. The U.N. has said nearly 20 million people in Myanmar require assistance, including over 3.5 million who are internally displaced.
