The death toll from a powerful earthquake in Myanmar has risen sharply to over 1,000 as rescuers dig through rubble in search of survivors. In this reclusive nation ruled by a military government that tightly controls information, details on the full scale of destruction remain limited.
Verified footage shows monks in vermilion robes crouching beside a collapsed clock tower, witnessing another building crumble in the distance. Another clip captures the golden peak of a Buddhist monastery in Pindaya shattering into pieces. Images reveal hospitals overwhelmed with injured victims and widespread structural damage across the country.
As rescue operations continue, BBC’s Burmese service reported screams coming from within the debris of a collapsed high-rise in Mandalay, where approximately 50 people have already been pulled from the rubble.
Myanmar’s military government has declared a state of emergency in multiple regions, including Mandalay and Naypyitaw, and stated that search and rescue operations are underway in the hardest-hit areas.
“The full extent of destruction caused by this earthquake may not be clear for weeks,” said Mohammed Riyas, International Red Cross Director for Myanmar, in a Friday statement.
The disaster is further complicated by Myanmar’s ongoing four-year civil war, which has limited aid access, strained resources, and left millions in crisis even before the earthquake struck. According to the Red Cross, over 19 million people in Myanmar already required urgent humanitarian assistance, with many displaced, facing food insecurity, and dependent on a healthcare system crippled by conflict.
“The added stress of meeting the needs of those injured in this earthquake will place an unparalleled strain on already stretched resources,” Riyas warned.
The USGS, using predictive analysis based on the earthquake’s strength and depth, estimates that a death toll exceeding 10,000 is a strong possibility, with potential economic losses greater than the country’s GDP. According to state media, as of Saturday afternoon local time, 2,376 people were recorded as injured and 30 were missing.
Amid concerns about aid delays following USAID cuts under former President Trump, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated Friday that funding reductions had “no impact” on the U.S. ability to respond, though no formal assistance request had been received yet.
“We stand ready, and we will be ready when the requests emerge,” Bruce said.
Trump reported Friday that he had spoken with Myanmar officials and that the U.S. would provide some form of assistance.
Myanmar’s ruling military general, Min Aung Hlaing, has invited “any country” to provide help and donations, stating he had opened routes for international assistance and accepted offers from India and ASEAN.
Deepmala Mahla, chief humanitarian officer at CARE Myanmar, urged international unity to support those affected. “The situation is devastating, and the scale is massive,” she told Sky News on Saturday.
“We critically need many things, including medical supplies like bandages, antibiotics, and surgical equipment,” she added, noting that damage to roads and bridges was complicating aid delivery.
According to state news agency TASS, Russia has reportedly mobilized aid, with its emergency ministry dispatching two planes carrying 120 rescuers and supplies. The Chinese embassy announced that a 37-member team had landed in Yangon with medicine and life-detection equipment.
The USGS attributed the earthquake to “strike-slip faulting” between the India and Eurasia tectonic plates. Rebecca Bell, a tectonics expert at Imperial College London, suggested it may have occurred along the Sagaing Fault, which functions similarly to California’s San Andreas Fault.
Earthquakes on these continental faults “can be particularly destructive, as the earthquake rupture is often very shallow, causing a lot of shaking at the surface,” Bell explained. “Their continental nature means population centers can be located very close to the fault.”
The region has experienced powerful quakes before. Since 1990, six other magnitude-7 or larger earthquakes have struck within 150 miles of Friday’s event, according to the USGS. In 1988, another 7.7 magnitude earthquake killed dozens.
About the author
US and UK Reach Limited Trade Deal While 10% Tariffs Remain
President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a limited bilateral trade agreement on Thursday that maintains Trump's 10% tariffs on British exports while expanding agricultural access and reducing steep US duties on British automobile exports. The "general terms" agreement marks the first of numerous tariff-adjusting deals Trump expects to finalize in the coming weeks. It follows his implementation of new import taxes aimed at addressing the $1.2 trillion US goods trade deficit. Trump celebrated the deal in the Oval Office with Starmer connected via speakerphone. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and chief trade negotiator Jamieson Greer prepared to launch negotiations with Chinese officials in Switzerland. Trump emphasized that Britain "made a good deal" but cautioned that other trading partners might face higher final tariffs due to their large US trade surpluses. "It opens up a tremendous market […]
US and Britain Set to Announce Historic Tariff Reduction Deal
The United States and Britain are preparing to announce an agreement to lower tariffs on certain goods on Thursday, marking the first such deal since President Donald Trump implemented worldwide tariffs. Trump announced on Truth Social that he would hold an Oval Office news conference at 10 a.m. EDT Thursday regarding a "major trade deal with representatives of a big and highly respected country." A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed he would provide an update on US-UK trade discussions later Thursday. Sources familiar with the negotiations indicated the framework of an agreement would be announced. "The United States is an indispensable ally for both our economic and national security," a Downing Street spokesperson stated. "Talks on a deal between our countries have been continuing at pace, and the Prime Minister will update later today." A British official […]
Europe Commemorates 80th Anniversary of VE Day Amid Shifting Security Landscape
Solemn ceremonies will be held at war memorials across France on Thursday as the country marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, observed as a public holiday there annually. In Paris, President Emmanuel Macron will lay a wreath at Charles de Gaulle's statue, walk up the Champs-รlysรฉes to the Arc de Triomphe, rekindle the eternal flame at the tomb of the Unknown Warrior, and inspect troops. The ceremony will include a minute's silence, a rendition of the Marseillaise, a speech from Macron on "the values that triumphed in 1945," military bands from six countries, a parade of French armed forces personnel, flags, wartime vehicles, re-enactors, and a flypast. However, France is among the relatively few European countries marking VE Day with such an elaborate ceremony. Some commemorate it more modestly without a public holiday; others call it […]
Young Britons Turn to Catholicism Seeking Deeper Connection in Digital Age
Twenty-three-year-old Joshua Steel found a "great sense of peace" when he began attending Catholic Mass in Britain, something he says was missing in his life. Twenty-six-year-old Dan Williamson was driven to convert by an "ache" for something "deeper and ancient and more rich." Both are among a growing number of men aged 18-34 attending church in Britain compared to pre-pandemic times, challenging the assumption that Christianity was in generational decline in Western nations like Britain. As cardinals gather to vote for Pope Francis's successor on May 7, the traditions and rituals of the Catholic Church, combined with a longing for connection and faith, appear to be attracting younger British adults, particularly men. "I was looking for meaning in life," Steel said after Mass at St. Elizabeth of Portugal church in southwest London, as incense lingered in the air. An Australian […]
UK Stocks Decline Led by Healthcare and Real Estate Despite Trade Talk Progress
Britain's main indexes fell on Wednesday, with healthcare and real estate stocks leading the decline despite positive developments in trade talks, as investor focus shifted to the upcoming U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate decision. By 1008 GMT, the FTSE 100 was down 0.3%. The domestically focused midcap index slipped 0.2%, poised to end its nine-session upward streak. An index of the UK's healthcare companies dropped 2% after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration appointed Vinay Prasad, an oncologist previously criticized for FDA leadership and COVID-19 mandates, as the director of its Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Shares of GSK and AstraZeneca fell between 4.4% and 2%, with GSK heading toward its largest daily decline in a month. The real estate index shed 1.3% following an industry survey that showed Britain's construction sector contracted for a fourth consecutive month in […]
German Chancellor Nominee Rejected in Historic First-Round Vote
Friedrich Merz, Germany's conservative leader, unexpectedly failed to secure enough votes to become chancellor on Tuesday, plunging Europe's largest economy into renewed political uncertainty. The 69-year-old Merz, whose CDU/CSU conservatives won February's federal election and recently signed a coalition agreement with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), received only 310 votes in the secret parliamentary ballotโsix short of the absolute majority required. At least 18 coalition MPs apparently withheld their support. While not necessarily fatal to his chancellorship bid, Merz's first-round rejection marks an unprecedented setback in post-war German politics and embarrasses a leader who promised economic revival during global instability. The vote immediately cast doubt on Merz's planned diplomatic visits to France and Poland scheduled for Wednesday. Bundestag President Julia Kloeckner announced that nine lawmakers abstained while 307 voted against Merz, who appeared visibly shocked by the outcome. Party insiders […]
Related
US and UK Reach Limited Trade Deal While 10% Tariffs Remain
President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a limited bilateral trade agreement on Thursday that maintains Trump's 10% tariffs on British exports while expanding agricultural access and reducing steep US duties on British automobile exports. The "general terms" agreement marks the first of numerous tariff-adjusting deals Trump expects to finalize in the coming weeks. It follows his implementation of new import taxes aimed at addressing the $1.2 trillion US goods trade deficit. Trump celebrated the deal in the Oval Office with Starmer connected via speakerphone. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and chief trade negotiator Jamieson Greer prepared to launch negotiations with Chinese officials in Switzerland. Trump emphasized that Britain "made a good deal" but cautioned that other trading partners might face higher final tariffs due to their large US trade surpluses. "It opens up a tremendous market […]
US and Britain Set to Announce Historic Tariff Reduction Deal
The United States and Britain are preparing to announce an agreement to lower tariffs on certain goods on Thursday, marking the first such deal since President Donald Trump implemented worldwide tariffs. Trump announced on Truth Social that he would hold an Oval Office news conference at 10 a.m. EDT Thursday regarding a "major trade deal with representatives of a big and highly respected country." A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed he would provide an update on US-UK trade discussions later Thursday. Sources familiar with the negotiations indicated the framework of an agreement would be announced. "The United States is an indispensable ally for both our economic and national security," a Downing Street spokesperson stated. "Talks on a deal between our countries have been continuing at pace, and the Prime Minister will update later today." A British official […]
Europe Commemorates 80th Anniversary of VE Day Amid Shifting Security Landscape
Solemn ceremonies will be held at war memorials across France on Thursday as the country marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, observed as a public holiday there annually. In Paris, President Emmanuel Macron will lay a wreath at Charles de Gaulle's statue, walk up the Champs-รlysรฉes to the Arc de Triomphe, rekindle the eternal flame at the tomb of the Unknown Warrior, and inspect troops. The ceremony will include a minute's silence, a rendition of the Marseillaise, a speech from Macron on "the values that triumphed in 1945," military bands from six countries, a parade of French armed forces personnel, flags, wartime vehicles, re-enactors, and a flypast. However, France is among the relatively few European countries marking VE Day with such an elaborate ceremony. Some commemorate it more modestly without a public holiday; others call it […]
Young Britons Turn to Catholicism Seeking Deeper Connection in Digital Age
Twenty-three-year-old Joshua Steel found a "great sense of peace" when he began attending Catholic Mass in Britain, something he says was missing in his life. Twenty-six-year-old Dan Williamson was driven to convert by an "ache" for something "deeper and ancient and more rich." Both are among a growing number of men aged 18-34 attending church in Britain compared to pre-pandemic times, challenging the assumption that Christianity was in generational decline in Western nations like Britain. As cardinals gather to vote for Pope Francis's successor on May 7, the traditions and rituals of the Catholic Church, combined with a longing for connection and faith, appear to be attracting younger British adults, particularly men. "I was looking for meaning in life," Steel said after Mass at St. Elizabeth of Portugal church in southwest London, as incense lingered in the air. An Australian […]
UK Stocks Decline Led by Healthcare and Real Estate Despite Trade Talk Progress
Britain's main indexes fell on Wednesday, with healthcare and real estate stocks leading the decline despite positive developments in trade talks, as investor focus shifted to the upcoming U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate decision. By 1008 GMT, the FTSE 100 was down 0.3%. The domestically focused midcap index slipped 0.2%, poised to end its nine-session upward streak. An index of the UK's healthcare companies dropped 2% after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration appointed Vinay Prasad, an oncologist previously criticized for FDA leadership and COVID-19 mandates, as the director of its Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Shares of GSK and AstraZeneca fell between 4.4% and 2%, with GSK heading toward its largest daily decline in a month. The real estate index shed 1.3% following an industry survey that showed Britain's construction sector contracted for a fourth consecutive month in […]
Trump Strikes Ceasefire Deal While Houthis Pledge Continued Attacks Against Israel
Yemen's Houthi chief negotiator, Mohammed Abdulsalam, has clarified that their ceasefire agreement with the United States excludes operations against Israel. Abdulsalam told Reuters on Wednesday that attacking Israel was not included "in any way, shape or form" in the Oman-mediated deal. This announcement came shortly after Israeli warplanes struck Yemen's Sanaa airport, causing approximately $500 million in damage according to airport director Khaled al-Shaief. The ceasefire was announced Tuesday by US President Donald Trump, who declared that attacks on Yemen would cease immediately after the Houthis agreed to stop targeting vessels in the Red Sea. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi confirmed the agreement, stating that "following recent discussions and contacts... with the aim of de-escalation, efforts have resulted in a ceasefire agreement between the two sides." The deal specifies that "neither side will target the other... ensuring freedom of navigation […]
Be the first to leave a comment