Myanmar’s military leader requested international aid on Friday to help deal with the aftermath of a massive earthquake that they said has left at least 144 people dead.
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.
The death toll and the number of injuries 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.”
The country has already accepted offers from India and the AHA Center, a regional agency for disaster management and humanitarian assistance.
More than 700 people have been injured, according to 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.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe was ready to provide support to Myanmar and neighboring Thailand. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is due to visit Bangkok next week, also pledged assistance.
Rescue and rebuilding efforts in Myanmar may be complicated by the long-running civil war in the country, which has crippled the economy. The country has been under the control of a military junta since 2021.
“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, some 83 people were trapped and 12 were injured after a 30-story building collapsed in Bangkok, according to Governor Chadchart Sittipunt. He confirmed three fatalities. The building had been under construction.
The stock and futures exchanges halted trading, and Deputy Prime Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong said the telecommunication system has been disrupted. The transport ministry ordered the suspension of Bangkok’s public transportation services, but an initial check found no damage to the city’s mass-transit system.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra designated Bangkok an “emergency area.”
Thailand’s finance ministry said there are no reports of a significant impact on the economy, fiscal infrastructure, or financial system.
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.
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