Background
On March 28, 2025, a magnitude 7.7 Earthquake occurred in Myanmar and Thailand. Although the epicenter of the earthquake was in Mandalay, Myanmar, quakes were found 100s of miles away from the epicenter in Thailand. The earthquake was extremely destructive and generated many afterquakes, which only added to the damage. At least 5,500 people have died already from the earthquake, with many more deaths likely not known.
Why Did It Occur?
Myanmar lies on a transform boundary in the Sagaing Fault. Earthquakes are very common on transform boundaries, as one plate will often get stuck while moving towards the other, and when the energy is released, an earthquake will happen.
Initial Quake and Aftershocks
The earthquake occurred at 12:50 Myanmar Standard Time on March 28, 2025. This was the most powerful earthquake to occur in Myanmar in over a century, since the 1912 Maymyo Earthquake, which measured 8.0 on the Richter scale. The earthquake also caused more than 390 aftershocks after it had occurred, which only amplified the damage and destruction caused by the initial earthquake.
Damage in Myanmar
In Myanmar, the earthquake caused 5,350 deaths and injured more than 7,300 people. Myanmar’s government said that more than 17 million people were affected in this quake. More than 120,000 homes were destroyed. At least 60 mosques collapsed during the earthquake, which killed many people, as they were praying in the mosques during the earthquake. More than 3,000 Buddhist monasteries were damaged, about 2,000 schools were damaged, and about 150 bridges were damaged in the quake. Many buildings also collapsed after the earthquake due to the many aftershocks. At the international airport in Mandalay, the ceilings collapsed due to the intense shaking from the earthquake, and air travel was disrupted due to the intense shaking. Travels to Myanmar also died in the quake including French and Chinese citizens.
Damage in Thailand
In Thailand, a skyscraper that was under construction in Bangkok collapsed. This collapse killed about 60 people, and about 30 people are still missing, many believed to be trapped under the rubble of the building. In Thailand, about five people died from trying to escape buildings from high heights, and four people died when a crane collapsed.
Relief for the Earthquakes
In Myanmar, the government declared a state of emergency for six regions within Myanmar. The government also dispatched search teams to look for missing people. In Thailand, the government investigated the collapse of the building, and closed down many major airports around the country to check if there was any damage to them done by the earthquake. Many other countries that were not impacted by the quake pledged aid to Myanmar and Thailand. The UN provided $5 million dollars to Myanmar, which was used for disaster relief, and India also provided $93 million. The International Federation of the Red Cross provided $100 million in relief for the Earthquake, which was used to help Earthquake victims. Also, the EU provided 80 tons of supplies to areas affected the most by the earthquake.