فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Burma on Friday, causing immense devastation and leaving over 1,600 dead, according to the latest toll released by authorities on Saturday.1 Rescue teams continue their arduous efforts to search for survivors under the rubble, while fears of a widespread humanitarian disaster grow.2
The shallow earthquake, which amplified its destructive power, occurred in northwestern Sagaing, Burma, around 06:20 GMT (12:50 Burma time and 13:20 Thailand time), followed minutes later by a 6.4 magnitude aftershock (later revised to 6.7 magnitude).3
The tremors caused scenes of chaos and devastation in Burma, where the collapse of homes, buildings, bridges, and religious sites raised fears of a major catastrophe in a country torn apart by the civil war that has been ongoing since the military coup in 2021.4
According to American geologists, Burma has not experienced an earthquake of this intensity in decades, with the tremors powerful enough to spread terror 1,000 kilometers from the epicenter, among millions of residents in Bangkok, where earthquakes are rarely felt.
The military authorities in Burma announced on Saturday that at least 1,644 people were killed and 3,408 injured, mostly in the Mandalay region (the country’s second-largest city), considered the most affected. However, due to damaged communication channels, the extent of the disaster is still difficult to assess, and the death toll could rise significantly.
In Mandalay, more than 90 people are believed to be trapped under the rubble of a twelve-story residential building, according to a Red Cross official.5 About 30 hours after the earthquake, Phyu Lay Khaing (30 years old) was rescued from her building, “Sky Villa.” After being embraced by her husband, Ye Aung, she was taken to the hospital, according to AFP journalists.6
They also witnessed a centuries-old pagoda reduced to ruins. “It started shaking, then it got serious. The monastery collapsed,” testified a soldier at a checkpoint outside the temple.7 “A monk died. There are also injured people, we pulled them out of the rubble and they were taken to the hospital.” The soldier added, “No one at the monastery dares to sleep inside, because we heard that another earthquake could occur. I’ve never felt anything like this in my life.”
Near Mandalay Airport, security guards turned journalists away. “It’s been closed since yesterday (Friday),” said one of them. “The ceiling collapsed, but no one was injured.”
The destruction at the site could complicate rescue operations in a country where the civil war, ongoing since the February 1, 2021 coup, has decimated the health system and isolated its leaders from the rest of the world.
The head of the military junta, Min Aung Hlaing, issued a rare appeal for international aid, inviting “any country, any organization” to provide assistance.8 In the past, the military was reluctant to seek such support from abroad.
Burmese authorities declared a state of emergency in the six most affected regions.9 At a hospital in the capital Naypyidaw, hundreds of injured people were treated outdoors due to damage to the building, according to AFP journalists.10
China announced that it had sent 82 rescuers and pledged to provide $13.8 million in emergency humanitarian aid.11 A plane carrying hygiene kits, blankets, food, and other essential items landed in Yangon on Saturday from India.12 South Korea, Malaysia, and the World Health Organization (WHO) also announced their assistance.13
“We will help them (…) What is happening is terrible,” said US President Donald Trump on Friday. King Charles III and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba sent their condolences, while Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message expressing his “deep sadness” to the head of the junta.
Humanitarian agencies warned that Burma is completely unprepared to face a disaster of this magnitude.14 The ongoing conflict has displaced about 3.5 million people, according to the United Nations, which warned in late January that 15 million Burmese people are at risk of starvation in 2025, even before the earthquake struck.
On the other side of the border, in Thailand, rescuers worked throughout the night to search for survivors under the rubble of a 30-story building under construction that collapsed in Bangkok within seconds due to the tremors.15 The tower’s collapse swallowed dozens of workers trapped in a mountain of rubble and deformed steel beams.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt told AFP that the deaths of at least eight people have been confirmed at the construction site, and eight people have been rescued alive. He added that 79 people are still missing in the collapsed building, located near the Chatuchak market, which attracts tourists on weekends. Therefore, the death toll could rise.
Thermal imaging drones detected signs of life from at least 30 people under the rubble, according to authorities.
The Bangkok metropolis ordered the deployment of more than a hundred specialists to check the safety of buildings after receiving more than 2,000 reports of damage.16
About 400 people spent Friday night to Saturday in open parks due to the emergency, as their homes were not safe enough to return to, according to the governor.
In Bangkok, where earthquakes are extremely rare, the tremors were captured in spectacular images. Many residents were evacuated to the streets, and even from some swimming pools located on rooftops. A woman had to give birth outdoors after being evacuated from a hospital.17 A surgeon also continued to operate on a patient outside after having to leave the operating room urgently, an AFP spokesperson said.
