On Friday, around midday, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake ripped through the Southeast Asian countries of Thailand and Myanmar. This was one of the most powerful quakes in the last year. Cities hundreds of miles away from the epicenter were still drastically affected. After the first earthquakes, aftershocks continued to pummel the already weakened countries.
Some of these aftershocks measured nearly as high as the earthquake itself, at a magnitude of 6.4. The epicenter hit near the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, which took the brunt of the damage. Recovery efforts will be ongoing, but the absolute devastation caused by the tragedy has already become evident.
Earthquake Rocks The Country Of Myanmar
Myanmar’s military leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, spoke on television on Friday about the effects on the country. At that time, the death toll had already risen to 150, with an additional 700+ injured. That death toll is expected to rise, and recovery efforts are being put in place to search the rubble. It is expected that hundreds more could be dead and unaccounted for.
Myanmar was already war-torn, currently suffering through a brutal civil war. This added weakness to the infrastructure of a country that is already among the top 50 poorest countries in the world. The war keeps information from freely flowing, so we may not know the full extent of the damage for a while. Buildings have been destroyed across the country, including some of the largest buildings and monasteries in Mandalay.
Myanmar is on a fault line, which means it experiences earthquakes frequently. However, it is uncommon for them to occur near major cities. It is this fact that increased the devastation, as many buildings in the highly populated city were not built for such a powerful tremor. Beyond the quake itself, citizens are also contending with flooding due to a burst dam.
Tremors and Aftershocks Felt in Bangkok
650 miles away in Bangkok, Thailand, citizens were still feeling the massive effects of the earthquake. Specifically, a 33-story high-rise crumbled and collapsed to the ground. So far, there are 10 reported fatalities, with an additional 16 injuries. Unfortunately, there are still over a hundred people unaccounted for.
People reported seeing and feeling the high-rise sway under the pressure from the tremor. Workers in both major cities have been rushing to clean up the rubble, and many have become trapped by the debris. Images and videos of the moment the building collapsed have been shared online.
Injuries sustained as a result of the earthquake and its aftershocks are being reported as far away as China. The death toll is expected to increase over the coming days and weeks.
United States and Global Response
United States President Donald Trump has pledged to provide aid to the affected countries. It is not yet clear where the aid will come from or in what form it will take, as the President also announced more cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Elsewhere, the United Nations has already pledged 5 million dollars to the relief efforts, and the European Union shared on X that they will be providing 2.5 million euros. Additional organizations are also on the ground assisting as possible. This includes Christian Aid, an organization that was already in Myanmar helping families who have been devastated by the war. A country that was already torn apart will now see even further heartbreak and separation of families and loved ones.
In the days and weeks that follow, more countries and organizations will join the search and relief efforts, but the ramifications of this tragic earthquake will be felt for years. If you would like to support the ongoing recovery, you can go to the US government website for ideas or find a non-profit organization aiding the affected areas.
