BANGKOK — Myanmar and Thailand experienced a devastating earthquake on Friday that resulted in severe damage and numerous casualties. The powerful quake registered a magnitude of 7.7 and significantly impacted several regions, leaving buildings collapsed and many lives lost.
By Sunday, the death toll in Myanmar reached 1,644 people, with an additional 3,408 individuals injured, and 139 still missing. Meanwhile, in the greater Bangkok area, which bore the brunt of the earthquake’s effects in Thailand, officials reported 18 fatalities, 33 injured, and 78 individuals unaccounted for.
While assessments of the overall damage continue, a clearer understanding is beginning to emerge regarding the extent of the destruction. Myanmar is located on the Sagaing Fault, a major tectonic fault line between the India and Sunda plates. This fault runs along the middle of the country, impacting a wide stretch of land, including Mandalay, home to 1.5 million people and positioned near the earthquake’s epicenter.
The earthquake has wreaked havoc on critical infrastructure, with the historic Ava Bridge that links Sagaing and Mandalay, Mandalay University, and various heritage sites all sustaining damage, as reported by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
So far, information from outside Mandalay city and Naypyidaw remains scarce, and the Red Cross has confirmed that the airports in these areas are still shut. There have also been reports of substantial damage in regions such as Sagaing, Naypyidaw, Magway, Bago, and Shan State. Telecommunications issues continue to disrupt coordinated emergency responses across several affected regions.
In response to the disaster, the Red Cross has initiated an emergency appeal aiming to raise 100 million Swiss francs (approximately $113.3 million). This aid seeks to support 100,000 individuals across 20,000 households over the coming 24 months as they recover from the earthquake’s devastation.