A devastating earthquake that struck central Myanmar last Friday has now claimed more than 3,000 lives, according to the country’s military government. The 7.7-magnitude quake, centered near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, has left a trail of destruction, toppling thousands of buildings, buckling roads, and collapsing bridges across multiple regions. As of late Wednesday, the official death toll stood at 3,085, with 4,715 injured and hundreds still missing, though local media and unofficial reports suggest the true number of casualties could be significantly higher.
The disaster, one of the deadliest in Myanmar’s recent history, has compounded an already dire humanitarian situation in a nation gripped by civil war since the military coup in 2021. Rescue operations continue around the clock, with teams from 17 countries, including China, Turkey, and Malaysia, joining local efforts. Nearly 1,000 tonnes of relief supplies have been delivered, but poor infrastructure, ongoing conflict, and damaged telecommunications have hampered access to hard-to-reach areas. On Wednesday, a rare glimmer of hope emerged as rescuers pulled survivors from the rubble, including two men from a hotel in the capital, Naypyidaw, and another from a guesthouse near Mandalay, five days after the quake hit.
In a surprising move, Myanmar’s ruling junta declared a temporary ceasefire in the country’s civil war, effective from April 2 to April 22, to facilitate relief efforts.
The earthquake’s impact has rippled beyond Myanmar’s borders. In Thailand, 22 people were killed when a 30-story skyscraper under construction collapsed in Bangkok, with over 70 still unaccounted for. The Thai government is hosting a regional BIMSTEC summit today, where leaders from seven Bay of Bengal nations, including Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, will address the disaster. The summit marks a rare diplomatic appearance for Hlaing, breaking from a regional policy of excluding junta leaders from major events.
