• Deadly quake hits Myanmar: At least 1,000 people are dead after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Mandalay in Myanmar and rocked neighboring Thailand. The quake was the largest to hit Myanmar in more than a century. The US Geological Survey estimatedthat the death toll could top 10,000.
• Foreign aid arrives: Myanmar’s giant neighbors China and India have sent teams to help with rescue efforts. A Chinese team was the first international rescue group to arrive in the country Saturday morning, according to state media, while India’s external affairs minister said New Delhi has sent a rescue and medical team along with urgent humanitarian aid.
• Searching rubble in Bangkok: The quake triggered the collapse of buildings hundreds of miles away. At least 10 people have died in the Thai capital, with authorities racing to free more than 100 others believed to be trapped under the rubble of an under-construction high-rise.
• Challenges to disaster response: Myanmar, one of Asia’s poorest nations, is reeling from a civil war sparked by a 2021 military coup. Weak infrastructure makes it ill-equipped to deal with major natural disasters. Aid groups said communications blackouts and damaged roads are making it challenging to reach people who need help.
Over 1,000 people have been confirmed dead in Myanmar after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the centre of the country on Friday, sending tremors as far as China and Thailand and reducing buildings in the region to rubble.
Bangkok lowered its death toll to six and reported 26 people had been injured, with 47 others missing at sites across the Thai capital.
Myanmar’s ruling military junta said 2,376 people have been injured and 30 are missing in the country following Friday’s catastrophic earthquake, which prompted both Thailand and Myanmar to declare a state of emergency.
Ruling military general Min Aung Hlaing warned that more deaths and casualties should be expected.
In Bangkok, which has been declared a disaster area by city authorities, a high-rise building under construction collapsed in a huge plume of dust near the city’s Chatuchak Market.
Dramatic footage circulating on social media showed scenes of panic as the structure crumbled into a cloud of dust and onlookers screamed and ran.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake had a depth of 6.2 miles and was centred close to Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. A strong 6.4-magnitude aftershock followed the initial tremor.
Mapped: The regions hit worst by 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand
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What caused the earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand and why was it so damaging?
Why the earthquake could help hasten the fall of Myanmar’s brutal dictator
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