Thousands Feared Dead as Massive Earthquake Rocks Thailand and Myanmar

Bangkok, Thailand — March 28, 2025 A devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar early Friday morning, sending shockwaves across Southeast Asia and leaving a trail of destruction that has claimed countless lives and raised urgent fears of further catastrophe. The quake, centered near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, has wreaked havoc in both Myanmar and neighboring Thailand, toppling buildings, buckling roads, and triggering widespread panic. As rescue efforts intensify, officials and experts warn that the death toll could climb into the thousands, with the added threat of dam collapses potentially unleashing catastrophic flooding across the region.

The earthquake hit at 13:20 local time (6:50 GMT), its shallow depth of just 10 kilometers amplifying its destructive power. Minutes later, a 6.4-magnitude aftershock compounded the chaos, shaking an already reeling population. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) issued a grim forecast shortly after the initial tremor, estimating potential losses ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 lives based on the quake’s intensity, population density, and the vulnerability of structures near the epicenter. As dawn broke over the region on this somber Friday, the scale of the disaster began to emerge, painting a picture of unprecedented loss and desperation.

In Myanmar, the epicenter’s proximity to Mandalay—a cultural and economic hub with a population exceeding 1.6 million—has left the city grappling with collapsed buildings, damaged infrastructure, and an overwhelmed emergency response. Videos and photos circulating on social media show the former royal palace in Mandalay partially reduced to rubble, its historic walls cracked and strewn across the ground. Religious shrines in the capital, Naypyidaw, have also succumbed to the quake’s force, with pagodas toppling and debris littering streets once bustling with life.

A doctor at a 1,000-bed hospital in Naypyidaw, speaking anonymously to Agence France-Presse (AFP), described the scene as a “mass casualty area.” “About 20 people died after they arrived at our hospital so far. Many people were injured,” the doctor said, exhaustion evident in their voice. “I haven’t seen something like this before. We are trying to handle the situation.” Outside the hospital’s damaged emergency department, rows of wounded patients lay on makeshift beds, some writhing in agony, others eerily still as relatives offered what comfort they could amidst the chaos.

Further south, in the town of Taungoo, reports indicate that more than 20 children may be trapped beneath the wreckage of a destroyed school. Eyewitnesses in Mandalay’s Pyigyitagon township told The Guardian that at least eight people perished when a construction building collapsed, with others feared buried alive. “The whole of Mandalay city was affected,” one witness said. “The rescue teams and hospitals are now overrun. We are managing with the resources we have in the neighborhood.”

The Sagaing region, just southwest of Mandalay, has also borne the brunt of the disaster. A 90-year-old bridge linking Mandalay to Sagaing collapsed, severing a critical lifeline and stranding vehicles along the damaged Yangon-Mandalay highway. The Red Cross has flagged additional concerns about large-scale dams in the area, warning that any breaches could unleash torrents of water onto already devastated communities. “Public infrastructure has been damaged, including roads, bridges, and public buildings,” said Marie Manrique, program coordinator for the International Federation of Red Cross in Yangon. “We currently have concerns for large-scale dams that people are watching to see the conditions of them.”

Hundreds of miles south, the Thai capital of Bangkok—a metropolis of 17 million—felt the quake’s ferocious reach, transforming a routine Friday into a nightmare of destruction and fear. A 30-story high-rise under construction near the popular Chatuchak Market crumpled in seconds, killing at least three workers and leaving dozens more trapped in the rubble. Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai reported that 90 people remain unaccounted for at the site, with rescue operations hampered by unstable debris. “Seven people have been rescued so far from outside the collapsed building,” he said, offering a glimmer of hope amid the grim tableau.

Dramatic footage captured the moment of collapse: workers fleeing as the skyscraper buckled, a crane atop it swaying before the entire structure disintegrated into a cloud of dust. “All of a sudden the whole building began to move,” recounted Fraser Morton, a Scottish tourist shopping in a nearby mall. “Immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic. I just started walking calmly at first, but then the building started really moving—lots of banging and crashing inside the mall.” Like thousands of others, Morton sought refuge in Benjasiri Park, away from the swaying high-rises that dominate Bangkok’s skyline.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra declared Bangkok an “emergency zone,” cutting short a visit to Phuket to oversee the response. Schools nationwide have been shuttered, and authorities are urging residents to evacuate high-rise buildings as structural inspections proceed with “utmost caution.” “This has never happened in 100 years,” Phumtham said, underscoring the unprecedented nature of the crisis. The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended trading, and while Bangkok’s main airport remains operational, the city’s Skytrain passengers were evacuated as water sloshed from rooftop pools, a surreal testament to the quake’s reach.

In Myanmar, the disaster strikes a nation already battered by four years of civil war following a 2021 military coup. The junta, struggling to maintain control amidst armed opposition, declared a state of emergency across multiple regions, including Mandalay and Naypyidaw. In a rare move, military leaders have appealed for international aid, signaling the anticipated scale of loss. “The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid,” the junta announced via Telegram. Yet, with electricity and communication lines down, and a history of restricting media and aid access, the full extent of the damage remains murky.

Amnesty International’s Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, warned that the timing could not be worse. “A third of the country’s population is already in need of humanitarian assistance after four brutal years of civil war,” he said. “The impacts of U.S. aid cuts are just starting to bite.” With over three million internally displaced people—many in the hard-hit Sagaing region—the quake threatens to exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis. The collapse of the Mandalay-Sagaing bridge, a vital artery for displaced populations, further complicates relief efforts.

Across the border, Thailand’s government has mobilized police, rescue teams, and military resources. Police dogs and drones are assisting in the search for survivors at the Bangkok collapse site, where responders are proceeding with extreme caution. “If any signs of life are detected, responders will knock and mark the area,” Phumtham explained. “Heavy equipment will only be used when we have a clear location of a survivor.”

As rescue teams dig through rubble, a secondary threat looms: the potential collapse of dams weakened by the quake. In Myanmar, the Paunglaung Dam and areas along the Sittaung River—including Naypyidaw, Taungoo, and Bago—are under scrutiny. Professor Ian Main, a seismologist at the University of Edinburgh, emphasized the severity of the situation near the epicenter. “The damage is likely to be very severe,” he said, citing the intensity of ground shaking and the region’s population density. Should dams fail, the resulting floods could inundate low-lying areas, displacing thousands more and compounding the death toll.

The Red Cross echoed these concerns, noting that while the area is prone to earthquakes, the combination of structural damage and potential flooding presents a uniquely perilous scenario. “We anticipate the impact to be quite large,” Manrique said, her words a stark reminder of the challenges ahead.

As aftershocks ripple through the region—experts warn they could persist for hours or even days—communities in Myanmar and Thailand brace for what comes next. In Bangkok, residents huddle outdoors, fearful of returning to swaying buildings. In Mandalay, monks survey the wreckage of temples, their chants mingling with the cries of the injured. Across borders, the quake has united two nations in shared grief and resilience, their fates intertwined by a natural disaster of staggering proportions.

For now, the focus remains on the living—those trapped, those searching, and those praying for salvation. But as the dust settles and the waters rise, Southeast Asia confronts a harrowing truth: the worst may still be yet to come. 17GEN4.com