Myanmar earthquake: Death toll could surpass 3,000

Chinese rescue forces and Ramunion Rescue's civilian rescue team successfully rescued a pregnant woman trapped in the rubble of a building in Mandalay City (Myanmar) on March 31, 2025. (Photo: THX/TTXVN)

According to China Central Television (CCTV), the death toll from the earthquake in Myanmar has reached 2,719 people, in addition to more than 4,520 people injured and more than 400 people still missing.

CCTV quoted the head of Myanmar's military government, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, as saying the death toll would rise and could exceed 3,000 people.

On the same day, Myanmar observed a minute of silence to remember the victims. The siren sounded at 12:51:02 (local time), the time the 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck on March 28 in Mandalay, the country's second largest city.

According to aid groups, the worst-hit areas are facing severe shortages of essentials such as food, clean water and shelter.

People in devastated areas are having difficulty accessing basic services, while rescue teams are still trying to find survivors and deliver aid, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) also warned that many people, fearing aftershocks, were too afraid to stay indoors, forced to sleep outdoors in poor conditions and in urgent need of tents.

Humanitarian organizations assess that reconstruction work in Myanmar and the transportation of humanitarian aid will still face many challenges due to severely damaged transport infrastructure, while communication networks in some areas have not yet been fully restored.

Given the severity of the disaster, international organizations are stepping up relief efforts. The US State Department said the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has dispatched a team of disaster experts to Myanmar to assess the situation and identify the most urgent needs.

In the capital Bangkok (Thailand), rescuers are still racing against time to find people trapped under the rubble of an unfinished skyscraper that collapsed. However, after 4 days since the earthquake, the hope of finding survivors is increasingly slim.

Rescue teams estimate that about 70 bodies remain under the collapsed building, but they are still hoping to find some survivors.

Currently, the death toll from the earthquake in Thailand has reached 20 people, of which 13 cases were directly related to the collapse of this building./.

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/dong-dat-tai-myanmar-so-nguoi-thiet-mang-co-the-vuot-moc-3000-post1024049.vnp