logo
ADVERTISEMENT

Foreign rescuers join frantic search for Myanmar quake survivors

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck on Friday, killing 1,700 people.

image
by BBC NEWS

World30 March 2025 - 15:38
ADVERTISEMENT

In Summary


  • In neighbouring Thailand, the death toll in Bangkok has risen to 18, with 78 still missing. 
  • In Bangkok, families are anxiously waiting for updates - one woman tells the BBC she will wait "for as long as it takes". 

Rescuers score through rubble in the hope of finding survivors following devastating earthquake in Myanmar on Friday. /BBC

Rescue teams from around the world are in Myanmar after a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck on Friday, killing 1,700 people. 

In neighbouring Thailand, the death toll in Bangkok has risen to 18, with 78 still missing. 

Search and rescue efforts are under way in both countries, as Thailand's deputy prime minister says rescuers have detected signs of life under the rubble at a collapsed building site. 

In Bangkok, families are anxiously waiting for updates - one woman tells the BBC she will wait "for as long as it takes". 

In Myanmar, which has been torn by conflict, the National Unity Government – currently in exile – has announced a "two-week pause in offensive military operations" in areas hit by the quake.

What's the latest?

It's been 55 hours since a deadly earthquake struck Myanmar, with tremors felt in neighbouring countries, resulting in the deaths of about 1,700 people.

On Sunday, another quake hit Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, as rescue teams in Thailand picked up signs of life under collapsed buildings.

International aid is pouring in thick and fast. China, India and Hong Kong have sent rescue teams to Myanmar to support efforts to find survivors.

There have been glimmers of hope within the search efforts.

In Mandalay, the local fire authority says 29 people have been pulled from the rubble of a high-rise block.

On Saturday, a 30-year-old woman was rescued after being trapped for about 30 hours.

In Bangkok, at the site of a collapsed skyscraper, the BBC has spoken to families waiting desperately for news.

Kannika is one of them. Her husband is missing. She says she’ll wait “for as long as it takes”, but finds it hard to explain to her son why his dad hasn’t called.

Our colleagues across the region are constantly sharing updates. Stay with us for the latest.

Related Articles

ADVERTISEMENT

logo© The Star 2024. All rights reserved