Myanmar, Thailand struck by deadly earthquake: Why this temblor was ‘not unexpected’

Buildings coming down like a pack of cards, people screaming and running helter-skelter and devastation everywhere one turns… These are the scenes that  unfolded in central Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the area on Friday afternoon (March 28).

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the 7.7-magnitude tremor hit at a depth of 9.97 kilometres and was followed by a powerful aftershock. Moreover, the epicentre was about 16 km from the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, which boasts a population of around 1.2 million people.

Catch live updates from Myanmar-Thailand earthquake here

As scenes of destruction unfold, we take a closer look at what’s the impact of the quake and how prone is Myanmar to seismic activity.

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Myanmar, Thailand earthquake brings death, devastation

Minutes before lunch hours, around 12.50 pm, a powerful 7.7-magnitude struck central Myanmar with the USGS reporting that 12 minutes later, the Southeast Asian nation was hit by a second strong aftershock of 6.4-magnitude. The epicentre was 18 km south of Sagaing.

Notable quake, preliminary info: M 7.7 - 16 km NNW of Sagaing, Myanmar https://t.co/g2nXJYU6eI

— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) March 28, 2025

The strong tremors were too much for the country and neighbouring Thailand, as buildings and other major infrastructure began to collapse, prompting panic from the public. At the time of publishing the report, Myanmar alone had reported over 20 deaths with at least three others being killed inside a high-rise building that collapsed during the earthquake in Thailand’s Bangkok.

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In Mandalay, Myanmar’s second biggest city, the earthquake caused widespread damage. Part of the former royal palace and other buildings have been damaged owing to the tremors. A bridge connecting Myanmar’s Ava and Sagaing regions also collapsed, with videos on social media showing The footage shows parts of it falling into the Irrawaddy River, which runs from the north to the south of the country.

Breaking: A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake has struck Myanmar and the surrounding region. The iconic Ava Bridge in Mandalay has collapsed into the Irrawaddy River. pic.twitter.com/aKEl96x9DZ

— Heung Min Son (@heungburma) March 28, 2025

Visuals also showed that the quake had caused roads to buckle and break across Mandalay.

News agency AFP reported that in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw, the entrance of the emergency department at the city’s main hospital pancaked onto a car. Wounded at the 1,000-bed facility were being treated outside, intravenous drips hanging from their gurneys. Some writhed in pain, others lay still as relatives sought to comfort them.

Moreover, at the city’s National Museum, pieces fell from the ceiling as the building began shaking. Uniformed staff ran outside, some trembling and tearful, others grabbing mobiles to try to contact loved ones.

At Mandalay’s Shwe Phone Shein Mosque, the quake killed at least 10 people as the structure collapsed while followers were offering their prayers. A rescue worker was quoted as telling Yangon Times, “It collapsed while we were worshipping. About three mosques collapsed. There were people trapped, so at least 10 people have died now. The death toll could be higher.

The airport at Mandalay has also sustained damage, with one video showing people screaming and crouched on the ground of the tarmac, with a jetliner in the background. Voices can be heard saying: “Sit down! Don’t run!” The Telegraph later reported that Mandalay airport had suspended flights.

The earthquake also wrought devastation in Thailand, namely in Bangkok . A 30-storey high-rise building in Bangkok collapsed, killing at least two and trapping at least another 43 in the rubble. Iana, 40, a piano teacher from Russia in Bangkok on holiday, was in a nearby shopping centre when she heard the building collapse in Bangkok. She told The Telegraph, “I hear the sound - it’s like a jet. The building was shaking, shaking, shaking. We went down to the first floor and then we saw all the smoke (from the collapsed building).”

Other videos and photos from Thailand revealed the impact of the quake. One showed the water from a skyscraper’s infinity pool literally thrown over the edge, and another showed chandeliers bouncing about on the roof of a conference room at Bangkok’s Athenee Hotel.

The #earthquake shakes #Thailand as water cascades from the pool of a high-rise building. #Myanmar #MyanmarEarthquake https://t.co/xZazhLImIK pic.twitter.com/1Jz8YpLgGP

— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) March 28, 2025

Bui Thu, a BBC journalist, who was at home cooking when the quake struck, said, “I was very nervous, I was very panicked. In my apartment, I just see some cracking on the walls, water splashed out of swimming pools and people just yelling.”

Help pours in after Myanmar, Thailand quake

Shortly after the quake struck, a state of emergency was declared in six regions and states in Myanmar by the military-run government. The country’s national disaster management committee added that it has declared a state of emergency in the Sagaing region, Mandalay region, Magway region, northeastern Shan State, Naypyitaw Council Area, and Bago region.

Myanmar’s junta has also issued a request from foreign countries for aid and assistance. “We want the international community to give humanitarian aid as soon as possible,” junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told AFP.

Reacting to this call, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country was ready to offer “all possible assistance” to the quake-hit countries. “Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone,” Modi wrote on social media platform X. “India stands ready to offer all possible assistance. In this regard, asked our authorities to be on standby.”

Meanwhile, Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra also made a declaration of emergency in Bangkok.

Analysts believe that the impact of the Myanmar earthquake will be quite catastrophic for the nation. Dr Brian Baptie, a seismologist at the British Geological Survey, told the Telegraph that the population lives in buildings vulnerable to natural disasters, worsening the situation. “When a large earthquake strikes an area with over a million people, many of whom live in vulnerable buildings, the consequences are often disastrous,” he said. “From initial reports, that seems likely to be the case here.”

Myanmar’s history of quakes

Today’s (March 28) earthquake isn’t the first for Myanmar. The southeast Asian country is exposed to large earthquakes, having experienced 14 with a magnitude of six or higher in the past 100 years.

On November 21, 2021, a strong and shallow earthquake hit Myanmar with the epicentre in Hakka. However, no fatalities were reported.

Prior to that, another strong quake hit Myanmar on August 24, 2016. A 6.8-temblor hit central Myanmar, damaging pagodas in the ancient city of Bagan and killing at least one person. Tremors were felt as far away as Thailand, Bangladesh and India, sending fearful residents into the streets. Videos posted on social media from Bagan show clouds of dust and the tops of some pagodas crumbling as the quake struck.

It is said that before March 28’s quake in Myanmar, the deadliest and strongest quake hit the country on May 23, 1912. Known as the Maymyo earthquake, its epicentre was near Taunggyi and Pyin Oo Lwin in Shan State. The exact number of fatalities from this quake remains unknown.

Reason for Myanmar’s quake activity

For the people of Myanmar, quakes such as today’s are not unexpected, Shengji Wei, principal investigator at the Earth Observatory of Singapore told CNN.

That’s because the earthquake occurred along a segment of the Sagaing Fault, a major geological fault line that has historically seen big earthquakes. This fault runs approximately 1,200 kilometres through the country and has a history of significant seismic activity.

Scientists explain that as the Sagaing Fault is active, stress builds up and when this is released, it causes a quake. As per an India Today report, the measured slip rate suggests significant movement, meaning more energy is stored and could be released as a strong quake.

Experts further note that in comparison, Thailand experiences relatively fewer earthquakes, and most of the earthquakes felt there is a result of seismic activity in neighbouring Myanmar.

With inputs from agencies