Myanmar earthquake death toll rises to over 1,600
The powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on Friday has killed at least 1,644 people, according to the latest update by the military junta. A dozen fatalities have also been reported in neighboring Thailand.
The quake occurred at 12:50 p.m. local time near the city of Sagaing, just west of Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported the epicenter at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). The tremor unleashed violent shaking over a wide area, including Mandalay and the nation’s capital, Naypyidaw.
As of Saturday evening, the ruling military junta reported 1,644 deaths, 3,408 injuries, and 139 people missing. The figures remain preliminary as damage assessments continue. Myanmar’s shadow government, the National Unity Government (NUG), has separately reported at least 469 deaths, though it remains unclear whether those figures overlap with the junta’s toll.
Widespread devastation has been reported across Myanmar. In Mandalay and Sagaing, entire city blocks were flattened, including bridges, apartment complexes, schools, temples, and hotels.
The Mandalay University campus collapsed and caught fire. Communications infrastructure has been severely disrupted, and both Mandalay and Naypyidaw International Airports suffered significant damage, including the collapse of Mandalay’s air traffic control tower.
According to the USGS, more than 2.4 million people likely experienced violent shaking, and an estimated 15.5 million were exposed to strong to very strong ground motion. The agency’s initial estimates place expected fatalities between 10,000 and 100,000, with a 32% chance of exceeding 100,000. Projected damage is estimated between $10 billion and $100 billion—potentially surpassing the annual GDP of Myanmar.
The military junta, which seized power in a 2021 coup, has formally requested international assistance. The country remains engulfed in a civil war between junta forces and a broad coalition of resistance groups, including the NUG and ethnic armed organizations. The ongoing conflict has made coordination of rescue efforts in some areas more difficult.
Neighboring Thailand reported at least 12 deaths and 32 injuries, most of them from a building collapse in Bangkok.
A 30-story structure under construction at the State Audit Office collapsed in the city’s Chatuchak district. Authorities said 83 people remain missing, and more than 2,000 reports of structural damage have been filed across Bangkok, according to CNN. Additional damage has also been reported in other parts of Thailand, including at a hospital in Chiang Mai.
In China, officials reported two people injured and 847 homes damaged in Ruili, Yunnan province, affecting nearly 3,000 residents. Tremors were felt across a wide swath of Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia.
With the official death toll continuing to rise and hundreds still missing, it could soon become the most lethal earthquake in Myanmar’s recorded history.
Terrifying CCTV video of yesterdays M7.7 earthquake that hit Myanmar. The death toll is at least 1,644, with 3,408 people injured. Numbers are expected to rise. pic.twitter.com/5fAXXXpVDl
— Volcaholic
(@volcaholic1) March 29, 2025
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
