Experts give grim death toll prediction as frantic rescue mission continues in Myanmar after devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake
Experts have starkly warned that the final death toll of the devastating Myanmar earthquake could skyrocket as rescuers frantically search for victims.
Experts have starkly warned that the final death toll of the devastating Myanmar earthquake could skyrocket as rescuers frantically search for victims.
Officials have so far recorded at least 1,700 people deaths and 3,400 injuries caused by Fridays 7.7-magnitude quake, one of Myanmars strongest in a century, its military chief told the BBC today.
All military and civilian hospitals, as well as healthcare workers, must work together in a coordinated and efficient manner to ensure effective medical response, said the junta chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, according to state-run media.
But the US Geological Surveys predictive modelling estimated Myanmars death toll could top 10,000 and economic losses could exceed the countrys annual economic output.
Aftershocks have been rattling the country, with a 5.1-magnitude earthquake recorded near Myanmars second-largest city on Sunday. People in the streets of Mandalay screamed as the aftershock - which was recorded by the US Geological Survey - hit.
Meanwhile, Myanmars neighbours sent warships and aircraft laden with relief materials and rescue personnel on Sunday, as international aid gained steam after a massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake ravaged much of the poor nation.
The quake jolted parts of neighbouring Thailand, bringing down an under-construction skyscraper and killing 17 people across the capital, according to Thai authorities. At least 78 people remained trapped under the debris of the collapsed building.
The deadliest natural disaster to hit Myanmar in years damaged critical infrastructure, including an airport, highways and bridges, slowing humanitarian operations, according to the United Nations.
Relatives wait for the recovery of their loved ones as search and rescue operations continue in the wreckage of a collapsed high-ride building, following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck neighbouring country Myanmar, in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 30, 2025
Astonishing footage shows the moment a victim who was trapped under rubble for 40 hours after the devastating earthquake in Myanmar was rescued alive
Women react after hearing of the death of a relative at the site of an under-construction building collapse in Bangkok on March 30, 2025
Rescuers reach the top of the mountain of wreckage to search for possible survivors, following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck neighbouring country Myanmar, in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 30, 2025
In some of the countrys hardest hit areas, residents told Reuters that government assistance was scarce so far, leaving people to fend for themselves.
Astonishing footage shows the moment a victim who was trapped under rubble for 40 hours after the devastating earthquake in Myanmar was rescued alive.
The man was pulled out from under the rubble of a collapsed building in the capital Naypyidaw by rescue teams from Singapore and Myanmar on Sunday, the countrys army-run TV reported.
It took around 24 hours for rescuers from the Singapore Civil Defence Forces (SCDF) and Myanmar Fire Services Department to extract the man from the rubble, one rescuer told MRTV.
The entire town of Sagaing near the quakes epicentre was devastated, said resident Han Zin.
What we are seeing here is widespread destruction - many buildings have collapsed into the ground, he said by phone, adding that much of the town had been without electricity since the disaster hit and drinking water was running out.
We have received no aid, and there are no rescue workers in sight.
Across the Irrawaddy river in Mandalay, a rescue worker said most operations in the countrys second-largest city were being conducted by small, self-organised resident groups that lack the required equipment.
We have been approaching collapsed buildings, but some structures remain unstable while we work, he said, asking not to be named because of security concerns.
The man was pulled out from under the rubble of a collapsed building in the capital Naypyidaw by rescue teams from Singapore and Myanmar on Sunday, the countrys army-run TV reported
It took around 24 hours for rescuers from the Singapore Civil Defence Forces (SCDF) and Myanmar Fire Services Department to extract the man from the rubble, one rescuer told MRTV. He is pictured above after he was pulled out
A Buddhist monk walks near a collapsed pagoda after an earthquake in Mandalay, central Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025
A rescue worker attempts to extract a mother and her child from a collapsed building in Naypyidaw on March 28, 2025, after an earthquake in central Myanmar
A damaged building is seen in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Mandalay, central Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025
Rescue workers carry out a search operation at the site of a building that collapsed following an earthquake, in Bangkok, Thailand, 30 March 2025
Commuters drive past a building that collapsed, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 30, 202
Scores of people were feared trapped under collapsed buildings across Mandalay but most could not be reached or pulled out without heavy machinery, another humanitarian worker and two residents said.
People are still stuck in the buildings, they cant take people out, said a resident who asked not to be named.
Hospitals in parts of central and northwestern Myanmar, including Mandalay and Sagaing, were struggling to cope with the influx of injured people, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The quake hit a nation already in chaos with a civil war that has escalated since the 2021 military coup, which ousted the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and sparked a nationwide armed uprising.
The fighting has battered the largely agrarian economy of Myanmar, formerly called Burma, displaced over 3.5 million people and left essential services, such as healthcare, in tatters.
The opposition National Unity Government, which includes remnants of the previous administration, said anti-junta militias under its command would pause all offensive military actions for two weeks from Sunday.
The NUG, together with resistance forces, allied organisations and civil society groups, will carry out rescue operations, it said in a statement.
With the Mandalay airport damaged and the control tower toppled in the capital Naypitaws airport, all commercial flights into the cities have been shut down.
Rescuers work with a K9 dog at the site of a building that collapsed, following a strong earthquake, in Bangkok, Thailand
Rescuers carry the body of a victim, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar
K-9 units search for missing persons at the site of an under-construction building collapse in Bangkok
A Buddhist monastery building that has collapsed is seen following an earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar on March 30
A vehicle is trapped under the rubble of a building that collapsed, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay
India, China and Thailand are among the neighbours that have sent relief materials and teams, along with aid and personnel from Malaysia, Singapore and Russia.
Indian military aircraft made multiple sorties into Myanmar on Saturday, including ferrying supplies and search-and-rescue crews to Naypyitaw, the purpose-made capital, parts of which have been wrecked by the earthquake.
The Indian army will help set up a field hospital in Mandalay, and two navy ships carrying supplies are heading to Myanmars commercial capital of Yangon, said Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Multiple teams of Chinese rescue personnel have arrived, Chinas embassy in Myanmar said on social media.
On Sunday, a convoy of 17 Chinese cargo trucks carrying critical shelter and medical supplies was expected to reach Mandalay, after making the arduous journey by road from Yangon.
The 400-mile journey has been taking 14 hours or longer, with clogged roads and traffic diverted from the main highway to skirt damage from the earthquake.
At the same time, the window of opportunity to find anyone alive is rapidly closing. Most rescues occur within the first 24 hours after a disaster, and then survival chances drop as each day passes.
An initial report on earthquake relief efforts issued Saturday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted the severe damage or destruction of many health facilities.
Local residents rest near a damaged building in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Mandalay, central Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025
Rescue workers carry a stretcher after recovering the body of a victim during a search operation at the site of a building that collapsed following an earthquake, in Bangkok, Thailand
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescuers conduct a search and rescue at a collapsed building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025
Debris of damaged building is seen near Maharmyatmuni pagoda in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Mandalay
It also warned that a severe shortage of medical supplies is hampering response efforts, including trauma kits, blood bags, anesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicines, and tents for health workers.
China said it has sent more than 135 rescue personnel and experts along with supplies like medical kits and generators, and pledged around $13.8 million in emergency aid.
A 78-member team from Singapore, accompanied by rescue dogs, was operating in Mandalay on Sunday, Myanmar state-media said.
Russias Emergencies Ministry said it had flown in 120 rescuers and supplies to Yangon, and the countrys Health Ministry said Moscow had sent a medical team to Myanmar.