7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Myanmar and Thailand, Over 150 Dead

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar near the city of Mandalay on Friday, leaving a trail of destruction and at least 144 confirmed dead across the country, with another 10 fatalities reported in Bangkok, Thailand. The quake, which struck around midday, also injured over 700 people in Myanmar and caused the collapse of buildings, a major bridge, and a dam.

Authorities in Myanmar, already dealing with a civil war and limited access to humanitarian resources, warned that the death toll is expected to rise. “The death toll and injuries are expected to rise,” said Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, leader of Myanmar’s military government, during a televised address. The quake’s impact has been especially difficult to assess given the country’s limited infrastructure and tightly controlled information flow.

Images from Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw showed rescue workers pulling victims from collapsed buildings, including apartments housing civil servants. Other images captured the aftermath in Mandalay, where the Ma Soe Yane monastery—a multistory religious site—crashed to the ground as stunned monks watched. A 90-year-old bridge collapsed in the nearby Sagaing region, and a dam burst in Mandalay, flooding nearby areas.

The quake, followed by strong aftershocks including one measuring 6.4, triggered fears of additional collapses and further damage in already vulnerable areas. Myanmar’s government said it is now open to international aid. UN Secretary-General António Guterres confirmed that the United Nations is mobilizing resources in response.

In Thailand, the quake was also felt strongly in Bangkok, where a 33-story building under construction collapsed near the city’s Chatuchak market. At least 10 people were killed and over 100 are missing. Videos shared online showed terrified residents running from the wreckage as sirens blared. Thai officials shut down public transit systems as emergency crews rushed to the scene.

“In my lifetime, there was no earthquake like this in Bangkok,” said one Bangkok resident who fled from a high-rise.

Tourists and locals alike described moments of panic and confusion as skyscrapers swayed and rooftops spilled water from shaken pools. The greater Bangkok metro area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise buildings not commonly exposed to this level of seismic activity.

The U.S. Geological Survey and Germany’s GFZ reported the earthquake’s depth at just 10 kilometers (6.2 miles)—a shallow depth that typically results in stronger surface shaking and greater damage.

In neighboring China, the quake was felt in the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan. In Ruili, near the border with Myanmar, Chinese media reported building collapses and injuries.

Relief organizations warn that recovery could take weeks, especially in Myanmar where years of civil conflict and displacement have left the nation’s infrastructure stretched thin. Over 3 million people in the country are already displaced, and 20 million are in need of humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations.

“This disaster will have left people devastated,” said Julie Mehigan of Christian Aid, adding that the quake comes on top of a “humanitarian crisis already in full force.”

Earthquake sum up 3pm (Mynamar/Thailand)
– 7.7 quake hit near Mandalay/Myanmar
– Hundreds of homes collapsed (various Myanmar cities)
– Strong shocks in Thailand + multiple building collapse in Bangkok
– USGS predicts thousands of people dead

(Bangkok clips from social media:) pic.twitter.com/kJodTn6BIg

— Florian Witulski (@vaitor) March 28, 2025

A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on Friday, killing at least three people in Bangkok and burying dozens when a high-rise building under construction collapsed. pic.twitter.com/wOb65quagE

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 28, 2025

A before-and-after comparison of Mahamuni Buddha Temple in Mandalay, Myanmar, following the earthquake. #Mahamuni #Buddha #Temple #myanmarearthquake #earthquake #earthquakemyanmar #Myanmar #Myanmarquake pic.twitter.com/LkRRzFYePl

— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) March 28, 2025