Death toll from Myanmar earthquake reaches over 1,600 – photo
Myanmar (Photo: STRINGER/EPA)
The number of fatalities from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar on Friday, March 28, with its epicenter located near the nation’s second-largest city, Mandalay, is climbing. The count of missing individuals has also risen, as reported by the Associated Press.
Currently, there are 1,644 confirmed deaths in Myanmar and 3,408 individuals unaccounted for. These figures are initial estimates and are expected to increase as search operations have not yet commenced in some regions.
As per the agency, on Sunday, March 30, international rescue teams were just starting to arrive in the areas most impacted by the earthquake.
They faced obstacles due to damaged roads, bridges, and other infrastructures.
Because of the destruction at Mandalay Airport and the collapse of the control tower at Naypyidaw Airport, all commercial flights have been halted.
Furthermore, the presence of international search and rescue teams in Myanmar is complicated by the ongoing civil conflict in the nation.
Another aftershock registering 5.1 in magnitude struck Mandalay on the evening of March 30. It remains unclear if it caused further damage.
According to the agency, a large number of inhabitants of Mandalay, a city populated by 1.5 million residents, are spending the night outdoors following the earthquake due to the destruction of their homes and anxiety over potential aftershocks.
In neighboring Thailand, 17 fatalities have been reported. Among them, 10 individuals were discovered at a construction site near the well-known Chatuchak market, where an unfinished high-rise building collapsed due to the earthquake. Additionally, another 83 workers at the site are currently missing.
Myanmar (Photo: STRINGER/EPA)
- On September 16, 2024, an earthquake measuring 5.2 struck Romania, but it was also felt in surrounding countries, including Ukraine.
- On January 7, 2025, an earthquake occurred in Tibet, resulting in 126 deaths and 188 injuries.
- On February 8, the strongest earthquake in several years, registering 7.6, took place in the Caribbean Sea north of Honduras.
