(Bloomberg) -- Myanmar’s military leader requested international aid on Friday to help deal with the aftermath of a powerful earthquake that killed at least 144 people, a toll the country expects to rise as rescue efforts continue.
The quake and an aftershock, which struck near the center of the country, also affected neighboring China, Vietnam and Thailand, where authorities said at least 10 people were killed and more than 100 missing after a building under construction collapsed.
The death toll and the number of injuries in Myanmar are likely to rise, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said in a video speech on state broadcaster MRTV.
“In some areas, buildings collapsed so rescue efforts are still under way,” he said. “As we carry out extensive rescue and relief efforts, I would like to request help.”
Rescue and rebuilding efforts in Myanmar, which has been under the control of a military junta since 2021, may be complicated by its long-running civil war.
President Donald Trump, speaking at the White House, said the US has been in touch with authorities in Myanmar and will be helping, calling the incident “terrible.” A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry said the country is ready to provide humanitarian assistance.
Myanmar has already accepted offers from India and the AHA Center, a regional agency for disaster management and humanitarian assistance. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe was ready to provide support, while the United Nations has pledged $5 million of initial emergency support.
The quake on Friday measured 7.7 in magnitude, according to the US Geological Survey, which said it was 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) northwest of Sagaing, Myanmar. There was a second quake of 6.4 magnitude around the same area, the USGS said.
More than 700 people have been injured in Myanmar, according to an early assessment by authorities. Major General Zaw Min Tun, lead spokesman of the ruling State Administration Council, said state-run hospitals in Naypyidaw, Mandalay & Sagaing are all packed with patients.
Bridges and several buildings collapsed in different areas of the country, according to a report in the state-owned news outlet The Global New Light of Myanmar. A state of emergency was declared in six provinces including the capital Naypyidaw and Mandalay, the nation’s second-biggest city, the State Administration Council said.
“It is highly likely that build quality will generally not be high enough to survive this level of shaking, and casualty numbers will almost certainly climb significantly as more becomes known of the scale of the disaster,” said Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysical & climate hazards at the University College London. He added that the quake struck along the Sagaing Fault, which runs north-south close to large population centers.
Bangkok Tower
In Thailand, 10 people were killed, 16 injured about 101 missing at three building sites in Bangkok, including a 30-story building under construction that collapsed, according to Bangkok Deputy Governor Tavida Kamolvej said in a statement.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra designated Bangkok an “emergency area.”
The stock and futures exchanges halted trading, and the onshore bond market effectively shut because of evacuations. Deputy Prime Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong said the telecommunication system has been disrupted. Authorities said long-distance trains to Bangkok and the city’s elevated Skytrain system had resumed operations by Friday evening, while subway service is expected to restart Saturday.
Thailand is a major production center for electronics from computing components and storage devices to laptops. Major contract manufacturers including Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. and Quanta Computer Inc. — which assemble devices on behalf of many of the world’s biggest consumer brands — said earlier they hadn’t received reports of any impact from the region. Samsung Electronics Co., which makes many of its smartphones in Vietnam, said there’s been no impact in the two countries.
Thailand’s finance ministry said there are no reports of a significant impact on the economy, fiscal infrastructure, or financial system. The baht was down 0.2% against the dollar in US afternoon trading, paring losses of more than 0.4% earlier.
Strong earthquakes are often followed by aftershocks that spread to other areas, said Nguyen Xuan Anh, Director of the Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Center at the Institute of Geophysics. While many places in Vietnam clearly felt the shaking, the quake is unlikely to cause damage in the country, the government said.
--With assistance from Jacob Gu and Julia Leite.
(Updates with US, China comment in sixth paragraph, Bangkok death toll in 12th paragraph.)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Business NewsNewsWorldMyanmar Quake Death Toll Expected to Rise as Junta Seeks Aid
MoreLess
First Published
:
29 Mar 2025, 03:02 AM IST
