YANGON, Myanmar — The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar on Friday has risen to 1,002, the country’s military government said Saturday, as international aid teams began arriving to support rescue efforts in a nation already reeling from civil conflict and economic turmoil.
The 7.7 magnitude quake, which struck around midday, caused widespread destruction across central and eastern regions of Myanmar, damaging roads, bridges, hospitals and residential buildings, including parts of a 1,000-bed hospital in Naypyidaw, the country’s capital.
The quake’s tremors were also felt in neighboring Thailand, where at least nine people were killed. In Bangkok, a skyscraper under construction collapsed, trapping at least 30 people beneath the rubble, with 49 others reported missing.
According to U.S. Geological Survey modeling, the death toll in Myanmar could exceed 10,000, and the financial losses may surpass the country’s annual economic output.
The ruling junta, which seized power in a 2021 military coup, issued a rare appeal for international assistance. “Search and rescue operations are currently being carried out in the affected areas,” the junta said in a statement broadcast on state media Saturday.
China was among the first to respond, sending a rescue team to Yangon, although the city lies hundreds of kilometers from the hardest-hit regions, including Mandalay and surrounding areas.
Other countries including Russia, India, Malaysia, and Singapore also began deploying aircraft loaded with relief supplies and emergency personnel. South Korea announced an initial $2 million aid package through international organizations.
India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that additional assistance would follow as the situation on the ground becomes clearer. The United States, despite its tense relations with Myanmar’s military leadership and ongoing sanctions against junta officials, has indicated it will also provide some humanitarian support.
The disaster has further strained Myanmar’s already fragile infrastructure and state capacity. The country remains mired in a protracted civil war, with large parts of its territory outside the control of the military-led government.
In Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, local residents joined rescue workers in pulling survivors from the wreckage. But without adequate machinery or emergency tools, their efforts were slow and perilous.
One survivor, Htet Min Oo, 25, said he had been buried beneath a collapsed wall before neighbors pulled him out. He tried to dig through the debris to rescue his grandmother and two uncles, but ultimately had to stop.
“I don’t know if they’re still alive,” he said in tears. “After so long, I don’t think there’s any hope.”
