Many are feared still trapped under collapsed buildings as rescue operations underway
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The devastating magnitude 7.7 earthquake, which struck Myanmar on Friday, killing over 2,800 people and leaving thousands more injured, was caused by a rare “supershear” rupture that moved fast and far, scientists say.
With tremors felt hundreds of miles away as far as the Thai capital of Bangkok, the death toll from the quake continues to rise, with over 3,900 reported injured and about 270 missing.
Many are feared trapped under collapsed buildings across Myanmar and dozens from the collapse of a high-rise building under construction in Thailand.
People inspect the debris of a collapsed building in Mandalay on March 28, 2025, after an earthquakeopen image in gallery
People inspect the debris of a collapsed building in Mandalay on March 28, 2025, after an earthquake (AFP via Getty Images)
Scientists say the geological fault which broke during the quake – the massive Sagaing fault between the Burma and Sunda tectonic plates – likely ruptured “very fast” and as far as 400km (250miles) to trigger the quake.
“The earthquake occurred on the Sagaing Fault – the major tectonic structure that accommodates the northward motion of India and western Myanmar with respect to the rest of South East Asia,” said Ian Watkinson, seismologist from Royal Holloway, University of London.
Rescue teams work to evacuate residents trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildingopen image in gallery
Rescue teams work to evacuate residents trapped under the rubble of collapsed building (AFP via Getty Images)
This fault passes from the Andaman Sea in the south to the very northern part of Myanmar and is “very similar in scale, movement and seismicity” to the San Andreas Fault in California, Dr Watkinson said in a statement.
“The rupture propagated both north and south with a rupture velocity of about 3km (1.8miles) per second,” seismologist Frederik Tilmann from the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, Germany, said in a LinkedIn post.
“Remarkably, the southward propagating rupture accelerates up to a speed of about 5kmps,” Dr Tilman said, indicating that the rupture was likely a “supershear” rupture.
Man walks along a damaged road in Naypyidaw after an earthquake in central Myanmaropen image in gallery
Man walks along a damaged road in Naypyidaw after an earthquake in central Myanmar (AFP via Getty Images)
In supershear quakes, scientists say the rupture underground travels faster than the seismic waves it produces.
This tends to concentrate seismic energy before the rupture, causing greater damage at much greater distances compared to normal quakes.
Such a rupture of the fault is “the earthquake equivalent of a supersonic jet”, he said.
“The supershear rupture leads to a strong radiation of seismic energy in the forward direction,” the seismologist explained.
“The magnitude 7.7 earthquake appears to have ruptured a 200km section of the Sagaing Fault, a major North-South fault that separates the India plate and the Sunda Plate,” said seismologist Brian Baptie from the British Geological Survey (BGS).
Myanmar (Burma): Myanmar residents lack clean water, health care, shelter after quake: Red Cross official
Storyline: Residents of earthquake-damaged areas of Myanmar are in urgent need of safe drinking water, health care, and temporary shelter after Friday's devastating quake, according to Arnaud de Baecque the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Myanmar. The quake hit the center of Myanmar, with an epicenter close to Mandalay, the country's second-largest city. Despite international rescue and relief efforts, residents are living in harsh conditions and facing multiple challenges, de Baecque said. The most urgent needs of the affected residents are clean water, health care, especially for the elderly, and safe shelter, according to the ICRC official, with scorching temperatures adding to the challenges. The death toll from the 7.9-magnitude earthquake has risen to 2,719, with 4,521 people injured and more than 440 listed as missing, according to an announcement on Tuesday from Myanmar's leader Min Aung Hlaing. Shotlist: Myanmar - Recent: 1. Various of destroyed residential buildings, people clearing up debris 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Arnaud de Baecque, head, International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Myanmar (ending with shot 3): "People are sleeping in the street, people are trying to access medical care, but the buildings are damaged as well. The hospital and primary health-care center cannot be used for now. We have sent already some reinforcement from Yangon together with the National Society of the Myanmar Red Cross to support the initial efforts. And we know also that we've seen the Chinese response, including the search and rescue teams that are still active in the first few days. We hope to find more survivors. And also the support given by the Chinese Red Cross society that is integrated into the general effort." 3. Various of Chinese rescue team working in collapsed building; 4. SOUNDBITE Arnaud de Baecque, head, ICRC delegation in Myanmar (starting with shot 3): "Access to safe drinking water is a priority. As the electricity is down, the water pumping system is not working, so the treatment of the water is not happening, temperatures are very high. We're reaching the hot season up to 40 degrees Celsius. Support for old people injured during the earthquake and their health in general would be the second one. And the third is support for livelihood and people who cannot access their homes and their kitchens just to keep having food and a way of sleeping in a safe manner, even if it's outside in the street." Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar - March 30, 2025: 5. Various of damaged hospital building; Mandalay, Myanmar - March 31, 2025: 6. Various of collapsed Great Wall Hotel, rescuers. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]
Myanmar (Burma): Myanmar residents lack clean water, health care, shelter after quake: Red Cross official
Dr Baptie observed that the rupture propagated from North to South in just about a minute.
This unusually fast movement of the tectonic plates may have “exacerbated damage” seen in Myanmar and caused the drastic effects experienced in Bangkok over 1000km (620miles) away from the epicentre, Dr Tilman said.
“The earthquake resulted in intense ground shaking, with at least 2.8 million people in Myanmar exposed to severe or violent shaking, with most of the population in the region living in buildings that are constructed from timber and unreinforced brick masonry, and that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking,” Dr Baptie added.
Satellite imagery in the coming days may confirm the theory, scientists say.