International teams are arriving in the hardest-hit areas of Myanmar.
People stand near a collapsed temple following an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 28, 2025, in this screengrab taken from social media video. Social Media /via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
People stand near a collapsed temple following an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 28, 2025.
BANGKOK – The death toll from Myanmar’s massive earthquake soared past 1,000 on Saturday, the country’s junta said, as international assistance began to trickle into the war-torn country.
Rescuers hunted for survivors including those hundreds of kilometers away from the quake epicenter in the Thai capital, Bangkok, where a high rise collapsed, burying dozens of construction workers.
The Myanmar junta’s information team reported 1,002 deaths, up from the 144 deaths reported Friday in the first hours after the earthquake, and more than 2,000 injured.
The U.S. and Russia offered assistance, with Moscow sending 120 rescuers and doctors, according to the TASS news agency. Malaysia said it would send 50 people on Sunday to provide aid to the worst-hit areas. A Chinese rescue team arrived on Saturday, Xinhua news reported.
The 7.7 magnitude quake was centered near Myanmar’s second largest city Mandalay. Shan state, Sagaing, Bago, Magway and Naypyidaw also suffered major damage, prompting the junta to declare a state of emergency in the affected regions.
In Pyinmana, a town just east of Myanmar’s capital, 40 bodies were found in collapsed buildings, residents told RFA Burmese, and more than 130 injured people were sent to nearby hospitals.
A rescue worker said that there were still many people trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings in the town.
“The entire area is destroyed, and we are working tirelessly on rescue operations. We just sent one body to the morgue and are now continuing the search,” he said. “Unfortunately, we can’t assist in other areas. Even in Pyinmana, our efforts are hindered, and we’re unable to go further.”
The disaster has raised concerns about how aid would reach victims in Myanmar, which has been embroiled in a civil war since the military overthrew a civilian government in a 2021 coup. The fighting has driven more than 3 million people from their homes.
“This earthquake could not come at a worse time for Myanmar,” said Amnesty International’s Myanmar Researcher Joe Freeman. “Over a third of the population will need humanitarian assistance this year.
“In a country where the military has banned many media outlets and internet access is restricted, we may not have a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time,” he said.
Rescuers search for victims of a high-rise collapse in Bangkok following Friday's powerful earthquake 1,000 kilometers away in Mandalay, Myanmar.
Backhoes work on the giant mound of rubble left after shockwaves from a powerful earthquake in Myanmar caused a high-rise collapse in the Thai capital Bangkok, Mar. 29, 2025.
In Bangkok on Saturday, 1000 kilometers (620 miles) from the quake’s epicenter, rescuers continued to hunt for construction workers trapped when a 33 story government building collapsed. Nine people are confirmed dead and 79 missing, according to information from rescue crews at the scene.
Backhoes picked at the giant mound of grey building debris next to the famous Chatuchak market as police shooed away reporters and bystanders from the entrance to the site.
Bangkok’s governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, declared a disaster zone “so that relevant government agencies, local administrative organizations, and the private sector can perform their duties in the disaster-affected area.”
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra sought to reassure residents late Friday saying it was safe to return to their homes.
Small tremors were still taking place Saturday according to Thailand’s meteorological department, which recorded 77 aftershocks as of 6 a.m.
Bangkok parks remained open overnight for people forced to abandon homes or stranded due to cancelled trains and blocked roads.
By Saturday, the overground and underground rail services were mainly running as normal, with safety checks still being carried out on two subway lines. Some malls and office buildings remained closed for safety checks and repairs.
The earthquake was felt in China’s Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and caused damage and injuries in the city of Ruili on the border with Myanmar, according to Chinese media reports.
The shaking in Mangshi, a Chinese city about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Ruili, was so strong that people couldn’t stand, one resident told The Paper, an online media outlet.
Edited by Taejun Kang and Stephen Wright.