Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Mar 29: The death toll in earthquake-hit Myanmar rose to 1.644 with over 3,400 people injured and many still missing, the country’s ruling junta said on Saturday while Thailand recorded 10 casualties with hundreds others still feared trapped under rubble.
A massive earthquake struck Myanmar and parts of neighbouring Thailand on Friday leaving a trail of destruction and a mounting death count. The 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit northwest of Sagaing in Myanmar, at 12:50 pm (0650 GMT) on Friday at a shallow depth of 10 km. Minutes later, a 6.7-magnitude aftershock and a series of smaller tremors followed. The region was hit by another quake of 5.1 magnitude on Saturday.
The quake was felt across the region, shaking buildings from India to the west and China to the east, as well as Cambodia and Laos. Myanmar’s military junta said in a statement on Saturday morning that the death count in the country has crossed 1,000.
Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, sparked by the military’s seizure of power, has severely weakened emergency services, leaving them ill-equipped to handle a disaster of this magnitude. In neighbouring Thailand, the earthquake led to the deaths of 10 people, primarily due to the collapse of a high-rise under construction building near Bangkok’s Chatuchak market. Up to 100 workers are feared trapped in the rubble.
In Myanmar’s Mandalay, buildings collapsed into piles of rubble and twisted metal, with residents and emergency workers scrambling to rescue those trapped beneath the debris. The Ava Bridge, a nearly 100-year-old structure spanning the Irrawaddy River from Sagaing, collapsed into the water. The destruction in Myanmar prompted a rare appeal for international aid from its isolated military regime. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing requested assistance from “any country, any organisation.”
India was among the first to offer aid, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern and readiness to assist. “Concerned by the situation in the wake of the Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand. Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone. India stands ready to offer all possible assistance. In this regard, asked our authorities to be on standby. Also asked the MEA to remain in touch with the Governments of Myanmar and Thailand,” PM Modi had said in a statement on Friday.
The Indian Air Force dispatched 15 tonnes of relief supplies, including tents, blankets, water purifiers, and essential medicines, from its Hindon air base to assist Myanmar. Under ‘Operation Brahma’, India is also sending a contingent of 80 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel to Myanmar to aid in relief and rescue work.
The Thai government, led by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, held an emergency meeting to assess the earthquake’s impact. The Indian embassy in Thailand reported no casualties among Indian nationals but advised vigilance. The European Union and the United States also pledged support. US President Donald Trump confirmed that Washington had been in contact with Myanmar authorities. “It’s a real bad one, and we will be helping,” he told reporters.
Rescuers in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city and the epicentre of the earthquake, are conducting rescue operations at full scale. However, many quake-hit areas remain inaccessible due to damaged roads and bridges. They pulled a woman alive from the rubble of a collapsed apartment building 30 hours after the devastating earthquake struck Myanmar.
Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Saturday said India was sending a field hospital with 118 personnel to Mandalay from Agra. The field hospital personnel will land in Nay Pi Taw later in the day.
Additionally, Indian Navy ships INS Satpura and INS Savitri, carrying 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid, are en route to the port of Yangon, he added. Sources said two other ships also left for the quake-hit country with relief materials. India has deployed an 80-member team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to support rescue operations in a show of solidarity with Myanmar amid the devastation caused by the massive earthquake.
Sources said the total relief materials delivered to Myanmar via air sorties and naval ships have exceeded 130 tonnes. They added that more aid will be sent as needed.
