Rescuers are racing through rubble and assessing the damage across hundreds of miles of Southeast Asia after a powerful quake struck the war-ravaged country of Myanmar on Friday, sending ripples as far south as Bangkok and as far east as China.
Many people are feared to have died. In the Thai capital, Bangkok, a high-rise building collapsed. In Myanmar, which is in the throes of a civil war and where internet access is heavily restricted, it may take some time to appreciate the scale of the tragedy.
Here’s what we know so far:
- ‘Many civilians were killed’: Myanmar’s military junta confirmed that the nation is facing multiple fatalities and injuries following Friday’s earthquake, but the exact death toll was not immediately clear. “Many civilians were killed and injured,” Myanmar state media said. The junta called on blood donors to contact hospitals. The UN said initial reports from the country indicate “significant damage.”
- Bangkok building collapses: The situation is “starting to ease” in Thailand, the country’s prime minister said, after tremors caused a building to come down in the capital, Bangkok. As many as 81 people were trapped under rubble; the high-rise was being constructed by a Chinese state-owned company. People in the city were told to avoid tall buildings, but have now been given the green light to return home.
- A historic quake: Friday’s earthquake is certainly the largest to hit Myanmar since 1946 and likely the strongest in modern times. It ruptured along the Sagaing Fault. The last time a quake of such magnitude struck on land was the 2023 Turkey earthquake, which killed more than 50,000 people.
- Calls for aid: International groups urged Myanmar’s ruling military junta to allow access to humanitarian aid. “This earthquake could not come at a worse time for Myanmar. More than three million people remain internally displaced from armed conflict that has raged since the 2021 military coup,” Amnesty International said.