(UPDATE) A devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, sending shockwaves across Southeast Asia and leaving thousands feared dead in its wake.
The powerful tremor, followed by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock just 12 minutes later, has caused widespread destruction in Myanmar and neighboring Thailand, toppling buildings, damaging infrastructure, and raising urgent concerns about the potential collapse of major dams, which could lead to catastrophic flooding.
As rescue efforts intensify, the full scale of the disaster remains unclear, particularly in Myanmar, where ongoing civil conflict complicates reporting and response efforts.
The epicenter of the quake, located approximately 50 kilometers east of Monywa in central Myanmar, unleashed chaos across the region.
According to the Daily Mail, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has forecasted potential losses ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 lives, a grim estimate based on the quake’s shallow depth of 10 kilometers and the vulnerability of buildings in the area.
In Mandalay, historic structures like parts of the former royal palace and Mandalay University have been heavily damaged, with social media footage showing collapsed buildings and debris-strewn streets (CBS News).
The BBC reported a rescue worker in Mandalay describing the damage as “enormous,” with casualties likely numbering “at least in the hundreds.”
In the capital, Naypyidaw, a 1,000-bed hospital has been declared a “mass casualty area,” with its emergency department severely damaged. A doctor at the facility told AFP (via CBS News), “Many injured people have been arriving, I haven’t seen anything like this before.
We are trying to handle the situation. I’m so exhausted.” The Guardian noted that at least 20 deaths were reported at this hospital alone, with rows of wounded being treated outside amid the chaos.
Further south, in Taungoo, more than 20 children are feared trapped in a destroyed school, while a mosque collapse in the same town killed at least three people, according to Reuters (The Guardian).
Myanmar’s military junta, already grappling with a civil war since its 2021 coup, has declared a state of emergency across six regions and issued a rare plea for international aid (Daily Mail).
The Guardian highlighted the junta’s statement on Telegram: “The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid.”
However, damaged infrastructure, including a collapsed 90-year-old bridge in the Sagaing region and sections of the Mandalay-Yangon highway, is hampering relief efforts (NBC News).
In Thailand, the quake’s effects were felt most acutely in Bangkok, where a 30-story skyscraper under construction collapsed, killing at least three workers and leaving dozens trapped.
Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai told Reuters that rescuers are searching for 81 people believed to be buried in the rubble, though earlier estimates suggested up to 90 were missing (CBS News).
The Associated Press reported that seven individuals had been rescued from the site, but the unstable debris has slowed efforts to reach those still trapped.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt declared the capital a disaster area, with authorities receiving 169 calls about building damage (The Guardian). Dramatic footage captured water cascading from rooftop pools and panicked residents fleeing high-rises (CNN).
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra cut short a visit to Phuket to convene an emergency meeting, ordering the closure of schools nationwide as officials assess structural safety (CNN).
“This has never happened in 100 years,” Wechayachai remarked, underscoring the unprecedented nature of the disaster (CNN).
Adding to the urgency, the Red Cross has raised alarms about the stability of large-scale dams in Myanmar, warning that their collapse could trigger catastrophic flooding.
Marie Manrique, program coordinator for the International Federation of the Red Cross, told reporters from Yangon, “Public infrastructure has been damaged, including roads, bridges, and public buildings.
We currently have concerns for large-scale dams that people are watching to see the conditions of them” (Daily Mail). The Telegraph noted that cities along the Paunglaung Dam and Sittaung River, including Naypyidaw and Taungoo, are on high alert for potential flood risks.
Professor Ian Main of the University of Edinburgh told the Daily Mail that the quake’s shallow depth and the region’s high population density near the epicenter suggest “very severe” damage.
“The build quality will generally not be high enough to survive this level of shaking,” he added, predicting a significant rise in casualties as more information emerges.
The timing of the earthquake could not be worse for Myanmar, where over three million people are internally displaced and a third of the population relies on humanitarian aid amid ongoing conflict (The Guardian).
Amnesty International’s Joe Freeman warned, “The impacts of U.S. aid cuts are just starting to bite,” with the Trump administration poised to reduce the $200 million annually provided to Myanmar (The Telegraph).
In Thailand, the government is racing to implement a mobile alert system following criticism over the lack of prior warnings (Sky News).
As rescue operations continue, the international community is mobilizing to respond to Myanmar’s call for help. European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen announced on X that the EU is already assisting and stands ready to offer more support (ABC News).
Meanwhile, the human toll mounts, with survivors like Fraser Morton, a Scottish tourist in Bangkok, recounting scenes of chaos: “The whole building began to move. Immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic” (NBC News).
