By Guardian-Amy Sedghi/Hamish Mackay/Adam Fulton-29 Mar 2025

Myanmar’s military rulers have called for ‘any country, any organisation’ to help as concerns grow over how rescuers will reach affected areas.

Summary of the day so far

It is approaching 8pm in Mandalay, Myanmar, and 8.30pm in Bangkok, Thailand. Here is what we know so far about Friday’s huge earthquake that hit Myanmar:

• The death toll from a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar rose to more than 1,000 on Saturday as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of buildings that collapsed when it struck near the country’s second-largest city. The country’s military-led government said in a statement that 1,002 people have now been found dead and another 2,376 injured, with 30 others missing. The statement suggested the numbers could still rise, saying “detailed figures are still being collected.”
• The earthquake struck at about midday on Friday with an epicenter not far from Mandalay, followed by several aftershocks including one measuring a strong 6.4 magnitude. It sent buildings in many areas toppling to the ground, buckled roads, caused bridges to collapse and burst a dam. A state of emergency was declared across the six worst-affected regions in Myanmar after the quake.
• In the capital Naypyidaw, crews worked on Saturday to repair damaged roads, while electricity, phone and internet services remained down for most of the city. The earthquake brought down many buildings, including multiple units that housed government civil servants, but that section of the city was blocked off by authorities on Saturday, according to the Associated Press (AP).
• Bangkok city authorities said so far six people have been found dead, 26 injured and 47 are still missing, most from a construction site near the capital’s popular Chatuchak market. On Saturday, more heavy equipment was brought in to move lage amounts of rubble, but hope was fading among friends and family members of the missing that they would be found alive.
• Thai authorities said that the quake and aftershocks were felt in most of the country’s provinces. Many places in the north reported damage to residential buildings, hospitals and temples, including in Chiang Mai, but the only casualties were reported in Bangkok.
• Myanmar’s government said blood was in high demand in the hardest-hit areas. In a country where prior governments sometimes have been slow to accept foreign aid, Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar was ready to accept outside assistance.
• Flights carrying rescue teams from China have landed at the airport in Yangon instead of going directly to the airports in the major stricken cities of Mandalay and Naypyidaw. China said it had sent more than 135 rescue personnel and experts along with supplies like medical kits and generators, and pledged $13.8m in emergency humanitarian aid.
• Russia’s emergencies ministry said it had flown in 120 rescuers and supplies. India also sent a search and rescue team and a medical team and Malaysia said it would send 50 people on Sunday.
• South Korea said it would provide $2m worth of humanitarian aid through international organisations, and the U.N. allocated $5m to start relief efforts.
• King Charles sent a message of condolence after the deadly earthquake in Myanmar, as he continues to work while recuperating after his short stay in hospital. In a message addressed to “the people of Myanmar” and posted on social media, King Charles said: “At this most difficult and heartbreaking of times, my wife and I send our deepest possible sympathy to all those who have suffered the profound tragedy of losing their loved ones, their homes and their precious livelihoods.”
• President Donald Trump said Friday that the US was going to help with the response, but some experts were concerned about this effort given his administration’s deep cuts in foreign assistance.
• Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analysed by the AP show the earthquake toppled the air traffic control tower at Naypyidaw international airport as if sheered from its base. Debris lay scattered from the top of the tower, which controlled all air traffic in the capital of Myanmar, the photos showed on Saturday.

Sharenow13.50 GMT

“In the beginning I didn’t think she would be alive,” Ye Aung told Agence France-Presse (AFP) as he anxiously waited for his wife – then buried in the rubble – to emerge. Phyu Lay Khaing, 30, was brought out of the Sky Villa condominium by rescuers on Saturday, AFP journalists saw, 30 hours after a devastating quake hit Myanmar.

“I am very happy that I heard good news,” said the trader, who has two sons with his wife – eight-year-old William, and Ethan, five.

A Red Cross official told AFP earlier that more than 90 people could be trapped under the remains of the apartment block.

Share23m ago13.26 GMT

Woman rescued alive from collapsed Mandalay apartment block - report

Rescuers pulled a woman alive from the wreckage of a collapsed apartment building in Mandalay on Saturday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists saw, 30 hours after a devastating quake hit Myanmar.

Phyu Lay Khaing, 30, was brought out of the Sky Villa condominium by rescuers and carried by stretcher to be embraced by her husband, Ye Aung, and taken to hospital, reports AFP.

ShareUpdated at 13.36 GMT28m ago13.22 GMT

Summary of the day so far

It is approaching 8pm in Mandalay, Myanmar, and 8.30pm in Bangkok, Thailand. Here is what we know so far about Friday’s huge earthquake that hit Myanmar:

• The death toll from a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar rose to more than 1,000 on Saturday as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of buildings that collapsed when it struck near the country’s second-largest city. The country’s military-led government said in a statement that 1,002 people have now been found dead and another 2,376 injured, with 30 others missing. The statement suggested the numbers could still rise, saying “detailed figures are still being collected.”
• The earthquake struck at about midday on Friday with an epicenter not far from Mandalay, followed by several aftershocks including one measuring a strong 6.4 magnitude. It sent buildings in many areas toppling to the ground, buckled roads, caused bridges to collapse and burst a dam. A state of emergency was declared across the six worst-affected regions in Myanmar after the quake.
• In the capital Naypyidaw, crews worked on Saturday to repair damaged roads, while electricity, phone and internet services remained down for most of the city. The earthquake brought down many buildings, including multiple units that housed government civil servants, but that section of the city was blocked off by authorities on Saturday, according to the Associated Press (AP).
• Bangkok city authorities said so far six people have been found dead, 26 injured and 47 are still missing, most from a construction site near the capital’s popular Chatuchak market. On Saturday, more heavy equipment was brought in to move lage amounts of rubble, but hope was fading among friends and family members of the missing that they would be found alive.
• Thai authorities said that the quake and aftershocks were felt in most of the country’s provinces. Many places in the north reported damage to residential buildings, hospitals and temples, including in Chiang Mai, but the only casualties were reported in Bangkok.
• Myanmar’s government said blood was in high demand in the hardest-hit areas. In a country where prior governments sometimes have been slow to accept foreign aid, Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar was ready to accept outside assistance.
• Flights carrying rescue teams from China have landed at the airport in Yangon instead of going directly to the airports in the major stricken cities of Mandalay and Naypyidaw. China said it had sent more than 135 rescue personnel and experts along with supplies like medical kits and generators, and pledged $13.8m in emergency humanitarian aid.
• Russia’s emergencies ministry said it had flown in 120 rescuers and supplies. India also sent a search and rescue team and a medical team and Malaysia said it would send 50 people on Sunday.
• South Korea said it would provide $2m worth of humanitarian aid through international organisations, and the U.N. allocated $5m to start relief efforts.
• King Charles sent a message of condolence after the deadly earthquake in Myanmar, as he continues to work while recuperating after his short stay in hospital. In a message addressed to “the people of Myanmar” and posted on social media, King Charles said: “At this most difficult and heartbreaking of times, my wife and I send our deepest possible sympathy to all those who have suffered the profound tragedy of losing their loved ones, their homes and their precious livelihoods.”
• President Donald Trump said Friday that the US was going to help with the response, but some experts were concerned about this effort given his administration’s deep cuts in foreign assistance.
• Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analysed by the AP show the earthquake toppled the air traffic control tower at Naypyidaw international airport as if sheered from its base. Debris lay scattered from the top of the tower, which controlled all air traffic in the capital of Myanmar, the photos showed on Saturday.

Share42m ago13.08 GMT

A woman has been rescued alive from a collapsed Mandalay apartment block, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).

More details soon …

Share1h ago12.42 GMT

The AP reports that, according to Bangkok city authorities, six people have been found dead, 26 injured and 47 are still missing from a construction site near the capital’s popular Chatuchak market.

More heavy equipment was brought in to move the tons of rubble on Saturday, but hope was fading among friends and family members of the missing that they would be found alive.

“I was praying that that they had survived but when I got here and saw the ruin — where could they be? In which corner? Are they still alive? I am still praying that all six are alive,” said 45-year-old Naruemol Thonglek, sobbing as she awaited news about her partner, who is from Myanmar, and five friends who worked at the site.

“I cannot accept this. When I see this I can’t accept this. A close friend of mine is in there, too,” she said.

Waenphet Panta told AP she hadn’t heard from her daughter Kanlayanee since a phone call about an hour before the quake. A friend told her Kanlayanee had been working high on the building on Friday.

“I am praying my daughter is safe, that she has survived and that she’s at the hospital,” she said, Kanlayanee’s father sitting beside her.

Share2h ago12.14 GMT

Nicola Davis

While many people have heard of the Richter scale to measure the size of an earthquake, the current standard is the moment magnitude scale.

“The Richter scale is an old scale developed for California. It is only good for smaller quakes, and is not very good at differentiating the sizes of bigger shocks,” said Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London.

As the USGS website notes, the moment magnitude calculation is based on the strength of the rock where the slip occurred, the area of the fault that slipped, and the distance the fault moved.

“Thus, stronger rock material, or a larger area, or more movement in an earthquake, will all contribute to produce a larger magnitude,” it adds.

However, like the Richter scale, the moment magnitude scale is logarithmic, meaning that as the magnitude increases by one unit, the degree of ground shaking involved increases 10-fold.

“This is a major quake by any standard, and its impact is made far worse by the fact that it was very shallow – only about 10km down. If it had been 100km deep, the impact would have been much smaller, so depth as well as size is critical,” said McGuire.

But, he added, measurements do vary dependent on the locations of the seismic arrays used.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center the Myanmar earthquake reached 7.9 magnitude, with tremors felt in China’s south-west Yunnan province.

Share2h ago12.01 GMT

Explainer: What caused Myanmar and Thailand earthquake

Nicola Davis

Earthquakes arise when huge slabs of rock that make up the Earth’s crust, known as tectonic plates, move against each other. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Myanmar quake occurred as the result of “strike slip faulting” between the India and Eurasia plates – meaning that these two tectonic plates rubbed sideways against each other.

“The quake happened on the Sagaing fault, which marks the tectonic plate boundary between the Indian plate to the west and the Eurasian plate to the east. The Indian plate is moving north along the fault compared to the Eurasian plate,” said Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London.

The USGS says the region has experience several similar large strike slip earthquakes in the past, with six occurring within about 250km of the current earthquake since 1900 that were magnitude 7 or greater.

“This is a major quake by any standard, and its impact is made far worse by the fact that it was very shallow – only about 10km down. If it had been 100km deep, the impact would have been much smaller, so depth as well as size is critical,” said McGuire.

What caused Myanmar and Thailand earthquake and how big was it?

Read moreShare2h ago11.48 GMT

UK for UNHCR, the UN refugee agency’s national partner for the UK, has launched an emergency appeal to help those affected by the earthquake in Myanmar.

“People who have already lost so much are now facing another disaster and more suffering,” said Mark Hopkinson, UK for UNHCR’s fundraising director. “The need for support has never been more urgent.”

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake was recorded in Mandalay on Friday, and was followed by an aftershock of 6.4 magnitude soon after. Several buildings have collapsed in Mandalay, roads are damaged, and six regions in Myanmar have declared a state of emergency.

In a statement, UK for UNHCR, highlighted the situation:

Myanmar is home to 3.6 million internally displaced people, many of whom were already struggling due to ongoing conflict. The areas worst hit by the earthquake-central and northwest Myanmar- are home to 1.6 million displaced people.

The earthquake’s tremors were also felt in Thailand, including in areas where over 80,000 refugees from Myanmar live in temporary shelters along the border.”

Share2h ago11.37 GMT

Rebecca Ratcliffe

Friday’s earthquake was the biggest to hit Myanmar in more than a century, according to US geologists, and the tremors were powerful enough to severely damage buildings across Bangkok, hundreds of miles away from the epicentre.

Bangkok city authorities said more than 100 engineers will inspect the city’s buildings, after it received more than 2,000 reports of damage.

While there was no widespread destruction, the shaking brought some dramatic images of rooftop swimming pools sloshing their contents down the side of many of the city’s towering apartment blocks. Hospitals, hotels, offices and high-rise condos were all evacuated.

One woman delivered her baby outdoors after being moved from a hospital building, while a surgeon also continued to operate on a patient after evacuating, a spokesperson told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

But the worst of the damage was in Myanmar, where four years of civil war sparked by a military coup have left healthcare services severely overstretched.

Myanmar earthquake: death toll rises to more than 1,000 as search for survivors continues.

ShareUpdated at 13.02 GMT3h ago11.20 GMT

King Charles has sent a message of condolence after the deadly earthquake in Myanmar, as he continues to work while recuperating after his short stay in hospital, reports the PA news agency.

In a message addressed to “the people of Myanmar” and posted on social media, King Charles said:

My wife and I were most dreadfully shocked and saddened to learn of the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, with its tragic loss of life and appalling damage to homes, buildings and livelihoods, not to mention the destruction of sacred pagodas, monasteries and other places of worship.

I know that the people of Myanmar continue to endure so much hardship and tragedy in your lives, and I have long admired your extraordinary resilience and spirit.

At this most difficult and heartbreaking of times, my wife and I send our deepest possible sympathy to all those who have suffered the profound tragedy of losing their loved ones, their homes and their precious livelihoods.”

Share3h ago11.01 GMT

Widespread power cuts have hampered rescue efforts in Myanmar, with emergency personnel relying on portable generators for power, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).

After more than 24 hours of desperate searching, many are exhausted and desperate for relief. “We have been here since last night. We haven’t got any sleep. More help is needed here,” a rescue worker told AFP.

Share3h ago10.44 GMT

New Zealand’s foreign minister Winston Peters wrote on X that his government would support relief efforts “via the International Red Cross movement”.

“Our thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones, and to everyone else affected,” Peters said on Saturday, reports the Associated Press (AP).

New Zealand’s foreign ministry said all embassy staff in Yangon and Bangkok were accounted for and no New Zealanders had been reported hurt or killed.

Share3h ago10.38 GMT

Hong Kong will send a rescue team to Myanmar, reports the Associated Press (AP).

The city’s chief executive, John Lee, also extended his condolences to the earthquake victims in a Facebook post on Saturday

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s national fire agency said a rescue team of 120 people was on standby for possible deployment. The team included rescue personnel, doctors, nurses, a vet, six search-and-rescue dogs and 15 tons of equipment, reports the AP.

Share4h ago10.17 GMT

There are also some more images from Myanmar and Thailand, collated by the Guardian’s picture desk, at this link:

‘Our town looks like a collapsed city’: Myanmar earthquake – in pictures below.

Share4h ago10.09 GMT

Here are some images coming in via the newswires today:

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