Myanmar earthquake: 1,644 dead, foreign aid arrives; anti-coup forces pause fighting | 10 points
ByHT News Desk | Written by Asmita Ravi Shankar
Mar 30, 2025 06:16 AM IST
The death toll in Thailand also increased to 10 in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake that hit central Bangkok and other parts of the country.
As rescue efforts continued in Myanmar after the massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck on Friday, the death toll soared to 1,644 and the number of injured persons increased to 3,408, while 139 others remained missing.
Rescue efforts continued to take place at affected areas across Myanmar in the aftermarth of the massive earthquake that struck the country on Friday.(Reuters)
Rescue efforts continued to take place at affected areas across Myanmar in the aftermarth of the massive earthquake that struck the country on Friday.(Reuters)
The Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG), which is dealing with the struggle against the ruling military, announced on Saturday a unilateral partial ceasefire in order facilitate relief efforts for the earthquake-hit nation.
The country's military has been fighting a civil war on multiple fronts since the ouster of Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in February 2021. It is opposed by both the People's Defence Force and ethnic armed organisations, many of which have been fighting for decades.
Myanmar Earthquake | Top Points
Myanmar earthquake death toll: The deadly earthquake that hit Myanmar on Friday has so far claimed the lives of 1,644 individuals, while injuring 3,408 others. With rescue and relief efforts underway, as many as 139 persons still remain missing, a report from The Associated Press said.
Earthquake effect in Thailand: Thailand, which was also struck by the quake like its neighbor Myanmar, saw its death toll increasing to ten. The earthquake had rocked the greater Bangkok area, which is home to around 17 million people, and some other parts of the country. Nine of the 10 deaths were reported at the site of the collapse of a high-rise under construction building near Bangkok's Chatuchak market. However, 78 persons still remain unaccounted for.
UK pledges £10 million: The United Kingdom on Saturday pledged £10 million ($12.9 million) in humanitarian aid for Myanmar, saying that it will increase the support in the hardest-struck areas of the earthquake and geared towards food and water supplies, medicine and shelter. Development minister Jennifer Chapman said in a statement, “UK-funded local partners are already mobilising a humanitarian response on the ground. I offer my deepest sympathies to the people of Myanmar after this tragic event.”
India's Operation ‘Brahma’: Meanwhile, two C-17 aircraft carrying a 118-member Indian Army Field Hospital unit, along with 60 tonnes of relief material, landed in Myanmar as part of India's Operation Brahma, a mission to help in the rescue efforts in its neighbouring country. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the unit also includes Women and Child Care services. A second, C-130 aircraft with the remaining 38 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 10 tonnes of relief material also landed in Naypyitaw. The MEA added that two C-17 aircraft carrying 60 Para Field Ambulances will land shortly.
More foreign aid arrives: Countries from across the globe have poured in help to manage the widespread damage left behind in Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand by the massive earthquake. China sent an 82-person team of rescuers to Myanmar. Beijing also said that it will provide 100 millian yuan ($13.8 million) in emergency humanitarian assistance, with shipments set to begin on Monday. Hong Kong also deployed a 51-person team, along with two search and rescue dogs and nine tonnes of equipment, including life detectors, the government said. Other than these, Malaysia, Philippines and South Korea also sent help for Myanmar.
‘Severe’ shortage of medicines: The World Health Organisation (WHO) also said it was mobilising its logistics hub in Dubai to prepare trauma injury supplies and triggered its emergency management response. The UN humanitarian agency OCHA, on the other hand, noted that a "severe shortage" of medical supplies, including trauma kits, blood bags, anaesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicines, and tent for health workers, was hamping the response efforts.
Trump vows help: US President Donald Trump, who described the earthquake as "terrible" said that Washington will be helping Myanmar. The European Union announced a 2.5 million euros ($2.7 million) in initial emergency aid and assessing the needs on the ground to further mobilise assistance from the bloc. Meanwhile, Ireland pledged to provide initial six million euros in aid, with half of it going to the Red Cross organisations and other half-headed to the UN agencies. Additionally, New Zealand said it would give NZ$2.0 million ($1.1 million) to the International Red Cross the emergency response in Myanmar.
Damaged roads hinder rescue ops: The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Saturday said that rescue operations in Myanmar were being hindered due to damaged roads and infrastructure. In a statement, the agency said, "Damage to the Yangon-Nay Pyi Taw-Mandalay expressway led to service disruptions, with cracks and surface distortions forcing highway buses to halt operations." The UN agency also noted that hospitals in central and northwestern parts of the country were struggling to cope with the influx of injured persons in the aftermath of the deadly quake.
Power, communication outages: The widespread damage caused by the massive earthquake also swept off communications across Myanmar. A massive destruction was reported in Mandalay, where multiple buildings collapsed into rubble and twisted metal coated in dust. The Ava bridge across the Irrawaddy river from Sagaing, built nearly 100 years ago, also collapsed into the swirling waters below it. Several electricity outages were also reported in several places, with power being limited to four hours in Yangon due to quake damage.
Woman pulled out alive: An AFP report mentioned how rescuers pulled a woman alive from the rubble of a collapsed apartment in Mandalay on Saturday. While the 30-year-old woman was sent off carefully to the hospital, it was earlier told by a Red Cross official that more than 90 people could be trapped under the remains of the Sky Villa Condominium.
In a statement, the NUG said, the PDF will "implement a two-week pause in offensive military operations except for defensive actions, in earthquake-affected areas starting March 30, 2025." The government in exile also said that it would "collaborate with the UN and NGOs to ensure security transportation, and the establishment of temporary rescue and medical camps".
Notably, the NUG is largely made of lawmakers who were ousted during the military coup and who are now working towards toppling the junta's rule.
Meanwhile, the increasing destruction highlighted that the statistics in terms of the affected individuals and the death toll was likely to continue to increase, given the scale of the quake.
(with inputs from agencies)
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