[🇧🇩] Earthquake in Myanmar----Lessons for Bangladesh

[Saif]

Date of Event: Mar 30, 2025 Source : https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/5jq3conp1d

250,000 buildings to collapse in Chattogram by magnitude 7 earthquake like Myanmar
Sujan Ghose
Chattogram
Published: 29 Mar 2025, 22: 25

An arial photo showing the buildings in Chattogram city which are constructed connectedly in an unplanned way defying the building code File photo

The port city of Chattogram is one of the major earthquake-prone areas of the country. A high magnitude earthquake like in Myanmar would damage nearly 70 per cent buildings in the city. As such, around 267,000 buildings of the total 382,000 buildings in the city would be somewhat affected.

The experts raised the concern, following a magnitude 7 earthquake in Myanmar yesterday which claimed at least 1000 lives with the casualty likely to grow far.

They say that the risk is high due to non-compliance with building construction regulation, erecting establishments without following the approved design and the use of substandard construction materials.

They also claim that the relevant government and non-government agencies practically do not have any preparation to run rescue operations and deal with the situation in case of a high magnitude tremor.

Experts and fire service officials allege the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) was negligent and deficient in its role as the monitoring agency in building construction. The agency did not do its work properly. The situation has become grave due to this.

The CDA officials too have admitted that they cannot monitor properly due to lack of manpower. They are also concerned that a magnitude 7 earthquake in Chattogram will make at least 60 to 70 per cent of the buildings in the city grounded or affected to some extent.

The concerns centering Chattogram’s vulnerability to earthquake resurfaced following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Thailand and central Myanmar Friday at 12:50 am local time. It was followed by a Magnitude 4 aftershock at 01:12 pm local time. Already more than 1,000 have been reported dead in Myanmar alone and the casualties are rising. A number of buildings in Myanmar and Thailand totally collapsed in the two countries.

There hasn’t been any major casualty in Chattogram from earthquakes in recent times. However, in 2016, there were reports of 12 buildings leaning over following a 6.99-magnitude earthquake in the city on 13 April.

In 1997, there were reports of casualties as a five-storey building collapsed in the tremor originated from a 6.1-magnitude earthquake on 21 November.

According to the CDA, there are some 382,111 buildings in the city at the moment, including 278,005 one-storey building, 90,444 two-five-storey buildings, 13,135 buildings with six to 10 floors and 527 more than 10-storey and 10 more than 20-storey buildings in the city. However, most of these buildings were not constructed in compliance with the regulations.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, former Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) vice-chancellor and CDA chief engineer Kazi Hasan Bin Shams said, “If an earthquake of the magnitude that hit Myanmar jolts the city, then at least 70 per cent buildings will be directly affected. Nearly 267,000 city buildings are at this risk.”

Meanwhile, there haven’t been any surveys in recent times regarding the vulnerability of the buildings and establishments in the region in the face of a strong earthquake.

The city of Chattogram is under a severe threat of earthquake. Almost 70 per cent of these buildings will be damaged in case of a magnitude-7 earthquake or above. National Building Codes were totally ignored while constructing most of these buildings. Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Former vice chancellor, CUET.

However, the disaster management ministry conducted a survey under the Combined Disaster Management programme to evaluate the earthquake threats in the Chattogram region from 2009 to 2011.

According to the survey, there were some 182,000 buildings, mostly one-storey, in the city at the time. Of these, 168,150 buildings were under risk, which is 92 per cent of the total buildings in the city. These buildings were not constructed following the National Building Code of Bangladesh. The survey stated that the hospitals, clinics and educational institutions were at the highest risk.

Former CUET vice chancellor Mohammad Jahangir Alam led the survey in Chattogram region.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on Saturday, he said, “The city of Chattogram is under a severe threat of earthquake. Almost 70 per cent of these buildings will be damaged in case of a magnitude-7 earthquake or above. National Building Codes were totally ignored while constructing most of these buildings. In case of a strong earthquake, most of these buildings will totally collapse and the remaining will be partially damaged which will lead to massive casualties.”

The former CUET vice chancellor stressed on identifying the vulnerable buildings under risk on an emergency basis and taking other relevant measures soon afterwards.

He further said, “In a word, we are totally unprepared to tackle the post-earthquake situations. The fire service, the city corporation and the CDA do not have any special preparation or a course of actions on earthquake situations. They do not have the necessary equipment either.”

“In some places, the lanes are too narrow for the rescue vehicles or ambulances to reach the spot. Where a country like Thailand is struggling to tackle the situation, what could be the consequence in Bangladesh is anybody’s guess.”

The south-eastern part of Bangladesh is known as an earthquake-prone zone. So we have to prepare from now. We need short, medium and long term planning for this. At the same time, there is no alternative to raise public awareness in this regard. Besides, regular exercise is also crucial. Humayun Akhter, Earthquake expert and former geology professor at DU.

As per the Chittagong Metropolitan Building Act 2008, one has to get eight approvals from the development authority in different phases while constructing a building. These are land use clearance, construction approval, notification of commencement of construction work and consent letter from technical personnel, report from technical personnel on the work up to the plinth (foundation) of the building, notification letter of completion of construction work of the building, certification letter from technical personnel, occupancy certificate and renewal of occupancy certificate after five years.

Although the building owners in Chattogram take approval from the authority for building design, they don’t bother following the next steps.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Fire Service and Civil Defence Chattogram zone assistant director Md Anwar Hossain said his force were always ready to follow the official instructions that had to be followed to run rescue missions in post-earthquake periods.

Besides, most of the buildings in the city have been constructed defying the rules and regulations, which further raised the risk of earthquakes. The CDA-monitoring has not been up to the mark in this case, he claimed, adding, “Instead of monitoring, the CDA has approved building construction in such places where it is difficult to run a rescue operation.”

CDA chief engineer Kazi Hasan Bin Shams admitted to the limitations in monitoring citing lack of manpower. However, he claimed, “We are monitoring regularly now. They are checking on the buildings up to 10-storey in person. We are sending experts to check buildings that are further higher.”

Former Geology professor at Dhaka University and earthquake expert Humayun Akhter said, “The south-eastern part of Bangladesh is known as an earthquake-prone zone. So we have to prepare from now. We need short, medium and long term planning for this. At the same time, there is no alternative to raise public awareness in this regard. Besides, regular exercise is also crucial.”

*This report appeared on the online version of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu​

 

[Saif]

Aftershocks rattle Mandalay as rescuers search for survivors in Myanmar quake

The tremors collapsed buildings, downed bridges and buckled roads, with mass destruction seen in the city of more than 1.7 million people

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Aftershocks rattle Mandalay as rescuers search for survivors in Myanmar quake
AFP
Mandalay, Myanmar
Published: 30 Mar 2025, 09: 10

Women react after hearing of the death of a relative at the site of an under-construction building collapse in Bangkok on 30 March, 2025 AFP

Residents scrambled desperately through collapsed buildings Sunday searching for survivors as aftershocks rattled the devastated city of Mandalay, two days after a massive earthquake killed more than 1,600 people in Myanmar and at least 11 in neighbouring Thailand.

The initial 7.7-magnitude quake struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock.

The tremors collapsed buildings, downed bridges and buckled roads, with mass destruction seen in the city of more than 1.7 million people.

As dawn broke Sunday, tea shop owner Win Lwin picked his way through the remains of a collapsed restaurant on a main road in his neighbourhood, tossing bricks aside one by one.

"About seven people died here" when the quake struck Friday, he told AFP. "I'm looking for more bodies but I know there cannot be any survivors.

"We don't know how many bodies there could be but we are looking."

About an hour later, a small aftershock struck, sending people scurrying out of a hotel for safety, following a similar tremor felt late Saturday evening.

Truckloads of firemen gathered at one of Mandalay's main fire stations to be dispatched to sites around the city.

The night before, rescuers had pulled a woman out alive from the wreckage of a collapsed apartment building, with applause ringing out as she was carried by stretcher to an ambulance.

Myanmar's ruling junta said in a statement Saturday that at least 1,644 people were killed and more than 3,400 injured in the country, with at least 139 more missing.

But with unreliable communications, the true scale of the disaster remains unclear in the isolated military-ruled state, and the toll is expected to rise significantly.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing issued an exceptionally rare appeal for international aid on Friday, indicating the severity of the calamity.

Previous military governments have shunned foreign assistance, even after major natural disasters.

Myanmar has already been ravaged by four years of civil war sparked by a military coup in 2021.

Anti-junta fighters in the country have declared a two-week partial ceasefire in quake-affected regions starting Sunday, the shadow "National Unity Government" said in a statement.

The government in exile said it would "collaborate with the UN and NGOs to ensure security, transportation, and the establishment of temporary rescue and medical camps" in areas that it controls, according to the statement, which was released on social media.

Aid agencies have warned that Myanmar is unprepared to deal with a disaster of this magnitude.

Some 3.5 million people were displaced by the raging civil war, many at risk of hunger, even before the quake struck.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh at risk of massive earthquake: Fire service

Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and Mymensingh are among the regions that are at high risk of quake

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Bangladesh at risk of massive earthquake: Fire service
Staff Correspondent
Dhaka
Published: 29 Mar 2025, 17: 33

Bangladesh is at risk of massive earthquakes like in Myanmar and Thailand. Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and Mymensingh are among the regions that are at high risk of quake.

The Fire Service and Civil Defense made the warning today in the wake of a massive earthquake that battered Myanmar and Thailand on Friday.

The press release said that two powerful earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 6.4 hit different parts of Myanmar and Thailand, causing death and large-scale destruction. There is a risk of similar major earthquakes in Bangladesh. Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Mymensingh regions are at high risk.

The fire service suggests building earthquake-resistant buildings according to the Bangladesh National Building Code is a must to combat earthquakes. Risky and rickety buildings must be renovated and fire prevention measures must be strengthened in multi-storied and commercial buildings.

Also, it must be ensured that gas, water and electricity lines are in good condition. Emergency telephone numbers of fire service, ambulance, police and hospital must be displayed in visible places in all buildings.

Emergency equipment, such as flashlights, radios (with extra batteries), whistles, hammers, helmets, dry food, drinking water, essential medicines, and childcare items should be stored in designated places in the home, says the press release.​

 

[Saif]

This earthquake increased risk for Bangladesh, says expert

There is no alternative to raising widespread public awareness. People must be properly trained and it is essential to establish a system for conducting regular drills.

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This earthquake increased risk for Bangladesh, says expert
Prothom Alo English Desk
Published: 29 Mar 2025, 15: 47

Yesterday, Friday, Myanmar experienced two consecutive earthquakes. The first had a magnitude of 7.7, followed by another earthquake just 12 minutes later, measuring 6.4 in magnitude. The epicentre of the powerful earthquake was near the city of Sagaing in Mandalay, Myanmar.

Sagaing is situated along an extensive fault line that stretches 1,200 kilometres from Arunachal Pradesh in India to the Andaman Sea. Over the past 185 years, this fault has experienced more than seven major earthquakes, the largest of which occurred in 1839 with a magnitude of 8.3.

The recent earthquake caused significant damage more than 1,000 kilometres away in Bangkok, where high-rise buildings and numerous roads were severely affected. Myanmar itself suffered extensive destruction. The earthquake was also felt in parts of China and Bihar, India. This earthquake occurred within the Indo-Burma subduction zone.

A subduction zone is a region where two tectonic plates collide, causing one plate to be forced beneath the other. The Indo-Burma subduction zone extended as far as the south-eastern region of Bangladesh and it’s recognised as an earthquake-prone area.

This Indo-Burma subduction zone is further divided into several sections, including a locked zone and a slow-slip zone. Dangerous earthquakes occur in locked zone and are located at the eastern edge of Bangladesh, towards the western part of the subduction zone.

In addition to these two sub-zones, the Sagaing Fault is also situated within the Indo-Burma subduction zone. This fault lies at the junction of the Shan Plateau and the Central Myanmar Basin, where the recent earthquake originated.

The region is earthquake-prone but possesses some distinct geological characteristics. Previously, in 1930, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Bago, an area situated near the sea. At that time, the earthquake also triggered a tsunami.

From the very beginning, we have maintained that there are two primary sources of earthquakes affecting our region. One is the Indo-Burma subduction zone, located to the east of Bangladesh, while the other is the Dauki Fault and the Himalayan foothill region to the north.

Among these, the subduction zone poses the greatest risk. The locked area of this subduction zone extends from the Sunamganj-Kishoreganj-Meghna River region in Bangladesh to the Manipur-Mizoram region in India. Here, the two tectonic plates are interlocked. The Indian Plate lies beneath, while the Burma Plate is positioned above. This interlocking occurs due to high levels of frictional energy.

To explain this in simpler terms, if you rub a surface covered in oil, it will slip easily; however, if you rub two pieces of sandpaper together, they will resist movement and remain stuck. The locked zone in our region experiences significantly high frictional force, which is why earthquakes occur less frequently.

However, this makes the situation even more hazardous. Why is this dangerous? Because a major earthquake occurred in this region between 800 and 1,000 years ago, releasing a significant amount of stored energy. Since then, new energy has been accumulating and the region now holds the potential for an earthquake of magnitude 8.2 to 9.

The earthquake that occurred yesterday is unrelated to this stored energy. Although it took place within the subduction zone, it was outside our immediate area. However, if one assumes that a large earthquake in the subduction zone has now reduced our risk that would be incorrect. On the contrary, the situation has become even more precarious, as our earthquake-prone zone has now had the opportunity to accumulate more energy, increasing the potential threat.

We must therefore remain prepared. This requires short-term, medium-term and long-term planning. There is no alternative to raising widespread public awareness. People must be properly trained and it is essential to establish a system for conducting regular drills.

* Humayun Akhter, earthquake researcher and former professor at the Department of Geology in Dhaka University.​

 

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Bangladesh has sent relief goods for Myanmar.

 

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Some more pics.

 

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Amid earthquake crisis, Myanmar military still bombs towns

An armed resistance movement against Myanmar's military-run government criticised the junta on Sunday for conducting airstrikes on villages even as the country reels from an earthquake that has killed around 1,700 people..The Karen National Union, one of Myanmar's oldest ethnic armies, sai

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Amid earthquake crisis, Myanmar military still bombs towns

Photo: Reuters

An armed resistance movement against Myanmar's military-run government criticised the junta on Sunday for conducting airstrikes on villages even as the country reels from an earthquake that has killed around 1,700 people.

The Karen National Union, one of Myanmar's oldest ethnic armies, said in a statement that the junta "continues to carry out airstrikes targeting civilian areas, even as the population suffers tremendously from the earthquake".

The group said that under normal circumstances, the military would be prioritising relief efforts, but instead is focused on "deploying forces to attack its people".

A spokesman for the junta did not reply to queries from Reuters about the criticism.

Myanmar has been locked in civil war with multiple armed opposition groups since a 2021 coup, when the military seized power from the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Shortly after Friday's devastating earthquake, military jets launched airstrikes and drone attacks in Karen state, near the KNU headquarters, according to the Free Burma Rangers, a relief organisation.

The epicentre of the 7.7-magnitude quake was in an area held by junta forces, but the devastation is widespread and also affected some territory held by armed resistance movements.

On Sunday, the opposition National Unity Government, which includes remnants of the government ousted in 2021, said anti-junta militias under its command would pause all offensive military action for two weeks.

Richard Horsey, the senior Myanmar adviser at Crisis Group, said some anti-junta forces have halted their offensives but fighting continues elsewhere.

"The regime also continues to launch airstrikes, including in affected areas. That needs to stop," he said.

He added that the regime was not providing much visible support in quake-hit areas.

"Local fire brigades, ambulance crews, and community organisations have mobilised, but the military - who would normally be mobilised to support in such a crisis - are nowhere to be seen," Horsey said.​

 

[Saif]

Scientists explain why Myanmar quake was so deadly

Experts say that the devastating earthquake in Myanmar on Friday was likely the strongest to hit the country in decades, with disaster modeling suggesting thousands could be dead.

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Scientists explain why Myanmar quake was so deadly
AFP
Bangkok
Published: 29 Mar 2025, 14: 05

This aerial photograph shows the site of an under-construction building collapse in Bangkok on 29 March, 2025, a day after an earthquake struck central Myanmar and Thailand. AFP

Experts say that the devastating earthquake in Myanmar on Friday was likely the strongest to hit the country in decades, with disaster modeling suggesting thousands could be dead.

Automatic assessments from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the shallow 7.7-magnitude quake northwest of the central Myanmar city of Sagaing triggered a red alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses.

"High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread," it said, locating the epicentre near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay, home to more than a million people.

Myanmar's ruling junta said on Saturday morning that the number killed had passed 1,000, with more than 2,000 injured.

However, the USGS analysis said there was a 35 per cent chance that possible fatalities could be in the range of 10,000-100,000 people.

The USGS offered a similar likelihood that the financial damage could total tens of thousands of millions of dollars, warning that it might exceed the GDP of Myanmar.

Weak infrastructure will complicate relief efforts in the isolated, military-ruled state, where rescue services and the healthcare system have already been ravaged by four years of civil war sparked by a military coup in 2021.

Dangerous fault

Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London (UCL), said it was "probably the biggest earthquake on the Myanmar mainland in three-quarters of a century".

A 6.7-magnitude aftershock struck minutes after the first and McGuire warned that "more can be expected".

Rebecca Bell, a tectonics expert at Imperial College London (ICL), suggested it was a side-to-side "strike-slip" of the Sagaing Fault.

This is where the Indian tectonic plate, to the west, meets the Sunda plate that forms much of Southeast Asia -- a fault similar in scale and movement to the San Andreas Fault in California.

"The Sagaing fault is very long, 1,200 kilometres (745 miles), and very straight," Bell said. "The straight nature means earthquakes can rupture over large areas -- and the larger the area of the fault that slips, the larger the earthquake."

Earthquakes in such cases can be "particularly destructive", Bell added, explaining that since the quake takes place at a shallow depth, its seismic energy has dissipated little by the time it reaches populated areas above.

That causes "a lot of shaking at the surface", Bell said.

Building boom

Myanmar has been hit by powerful quakes in the past.

There have been more than 14 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6 or above in the past century, including a magnitude 6.8 earthquake near Mandalay in 1956, said Brian Baptie, a seismologist with the British Geological Survey.

Ian Watkinson, from the department of earth sciences at Royal Holloway University of London, said what had changed in recent decades was the "boom in high-rise buildings constructed from reinforced concrete".

Myanmar has been riven by years of conflict and there is a low level of building design enforcement.

"Critically, during all previous magnitude 7 or larger earthquakes along the Sagaing Fault, Myanmar was relatively undeveloped, with mostly low-rise timber-framed buildings and brick-built religious monuments," Watkinson said.

"Today's earthquake is the first test of modern Myanmar's infrastructure against a large, shallow-focus earthquake close to its major cities."

Baptie said that at least 2.8 million people in Myanmar were in hard-hit areas where most lived in buildings "constructed from timber and unreinforced brick masonry" that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking.

"The usual mantra is that 'earthquakes don't kill people; collapsing infrastructure does'," said Ilan Kelman, an expert in disaster reduction at UCL.

"Governments are responsible for planning regulations and building codes. This disaster exposes what governments of Burma/Myanmar failed to do long before the earthquake, which would have saved lives during the shaking."

Skyscraper checks

Strong tremors also rocked neighbouring Thailand, where a 30-storey skyscraper under construction was reduced to a pile of dusty concrete, trapping workers in the debris.

Christian Malaga-Chuquitaype, from ICL's civil and environmental engineering department, said the nature of the ground in Bangkok contributed to the impact on the city, despite being some 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) from the epicentre in Myanmar.

"Even though Bangkok is far from active faults, its soft soil amplifies the shaking," he said. "This affects especially tall buildings during distant earthquakes."

Malaga-Chuquitaype said the construction techniques in Bangkok favouring "flat slabs" -- where floors are held only by columns without using strengthening beams, like a table supported only by legs -- were a "problematic design".

He said that initial video analysis of the collapsed tower block in Bangkok suggested this type of construction technique had been used.

"It performs poorly during earthquakes, often failing in a brittle and sudden (almost explosive) manner," he said.

Roberto Gentile, a catastrophe risk modelling expert from UCL, said the "dramatic collapse" of the Bangkok tower block meant that "other tall buildings in the city may require a thorough assessment".

Bangkok city authorities said they will deploy more than 100 engineers to inspect buildings for safety after receiving more than 2,000 reports of damage.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh hands over first consignment of humanitarian relief to Myanmar

Bangladesh, in solidarity with the people of Myanmar, has promptly responded to the devastating earthquake of 7.7 magnitude that struck northern Myanmar on March 28....

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Bangladesh hands over first consignment of humanitarian relief to Myanmar
United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka 30 March, 2025, 18:06

Bangladesh ambassador to Myanmar Monwar Hossain hands over humanitarian relief materials to the chief minister of Myanmar’s Yangon Soe Thein at a simple ceremony at Yangon Airport on Sunday. | UNB photo

Bangladesh, in solidarity with the people of Myanmar, has promptly responded to the devastating earthquake of 7.7 magnitude that struck northern Myanmar on March 28.

Two Bangladesh Air Force/Army aircrafts (C-130 and CASA) landed at Yangon Airport on Sunday, carrying 16.5 metric tonnes of emergency relief materials, including tents, food packets, medicines, water, hygiene kits, plastic sheets, mosquito nets, solar lights and other essential supplies.

These are the first consignments, with more to follow.

Bangladesh ambassador to Myanmar Monwar Hossain handed over the relief materials to the chief minister of Yangon Soe Thein at a simple ceremony at the airport.

Bangladesh also stands ready to deploy a 50-member rescue team, including a dedicated 21-member medical team, engineers, and fire service and civil defense personnel, to support search and rescue efforts, the ambassador said.

‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those affected,’ he said.

As a close neighbour, Bangladesh remains committed to assisting the people of Myanmar in their time of need, the ambassador added.​

 

[Saif]

Rescue hopes fading three days after deadly Myanmar quake

The sticky heat has exhausted rescue workers and accelerated body decomposition

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Rescue hopes fading three days after deadly Myanmar quake

Rescue workers carry a victim trapped under the rubble of the destroyed Sky Villa Condominium development building in Mandalay on March 30, 2025. Photo: AFP/Sai Aung MAIN

Hopes were fading today of finding more survivors in the rubble of Mandalay, where some residents spent a third night sleeping in the open after a massive earthquake killed at least 1,700 people in Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand.

Rescue efforts were less active in the central Myanmar city of more than 1.7 million people early Monday, but conditions are difficult -- with temperatures expected to reach around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

The sticky heat has exhausted rescue workers and accelerated body decomposition, which could complicate identification.

A desperate scene unfolded at a collapsed apartment block in Myanmar's second biggest city on Sunday evening, when rescuers thought they had saved the life of a pregnant woman trapped under the rubble for more than 55 hours.

They amputated her leg to free her, but after pulling her out she was pronounced dead.

"We tried everything to save her," said one of the medical responders, but she had lost too much blood from the amputation.

Muslim worshipers, meanwhile, gathered near a destroyed mosque in the city on Monday morning for the first prayer of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Funerals for hundreds of victims are also expected to take place on Monday.

The initial 7.7-magnitude quake struck near Mandalay early Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock.

The tremors collapsed buildings, downed bridges and buckled roads, with some of the worst destruction seen in central Myanmar.

Aftershocks cause panic

Aftershocks continued to be felt in Mandalay over the weekend, spurring residents to flee into the streets in multiple instances of brief panic.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched an emergency appeal Sunday for more than $ 100 million to help victims.

The world's largest humanitarian network said needs were growing by the hour as rising temperatures and the approaching monsoon season increase the risk of "secondary crises".

The challenges facing the Southeast Asian country of over 50 million people were immense even before the earthquake.

Myanmar has been ravaged by four years of civil war sparked by a military coup in 2021.

Reports have emerged of sporadic fighting even after the quake, with one rebel group telling AFP on Sunday that seven of its fighters were killed in an aerial attack soon after the tremors hit.

Before Friday's quake, some 3.5 million people were displaced by the raging civil war, many at risk of hunger.

Bangkok building collapse

In the Thai capital of Bangkok -- about 1,000 kilometres away from Mandalay -- rain fell on Monday morning at the site of a collapsed building that had been under construction at the time of Friday's quake.

At least 18 people have been killed in Bangkok, city authorities said Sunday, with 33 injured and 78 still missing.

Most of the deaths were workers killed in the tower collapse, while most of the missing are believed to be trapped under the immense pile of debris where the skyscraper once stood.

Rescue workers raced over the weekend to find survivors, using large mechanical diggers to uncover rubble while distressed family members waited nearby.

Sniffer dogs and thermal imaging drones have been deployed to seek signs of life in the collapsed building, which is close to the Chatuchak weekend market popular among tourists.​

 

[Saif]

Myanmar quake: a nation unprepared for disaster

Ravaged by four years of civil war, Myanmar is ill-prepared to cope with the destruction brought by Friday's massive earthquake

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Myanmar quake: a nation unprepared for disaster

Photo: AFP

Ravaged by four years of civil war, Myanmar is ill-prepared to cope with the destruction brought by Friday's massive earthquake.

The 7.7-magnitude quake that struck central Myanmar has killed more than 1,600 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

But the bloody conflict sparked by the 2021 military coup has brought the country's infrastructure, healthcare system and power network to their knees.

Here are some of the challenges facing relief efforts in Myanmar:

- Humanitarian crisis -

The United Nations and aid agencies have warned that millions were already facing a dire humanitarian crisis before the quake, and are now in urgent need of yet more aid.

Much of the country was already plagued by a punishing mix of conflict, poverty and instability after the civil war that left 3.5 million people displaced and smashed the economy.

"We have estimated that 19.9 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, and this is just before the earthquake," said UN humanitarian coordinator in Myanmar Marcoluigi Corsi.

"The situation will be further aggravated."

Before the quake, the World Food Programme (WFP) said more than 15 million out of a population of 51 million were unable to meet their daily food needs.

Just two days after the quake, the UN said the aid effort was being hampered by a severe lack of medical supplies, while rescuers on the ground have pleaded for more equipment to comb ruined buildings for survivors.

The quake also struck Myanmar at a time when US President Donald Trump has slashed jobs and funding to Washington's foreign aid agency.

Trump has promised US help but one million civilians in Myanmar face WFP aid cuts after he took an axe to the US Agency for International Development.

Countries around the world have begun sending rescue teams and aid shipments.

- Junta rule -

The junta, led by General Min Aung Hlaing, has lost control of large parts of Myanmar throughout the conflict, though it remains in charge of major cities including Mandalay -- the closest to the quake epicentre and worst hit.

But many civil servants chose to switch sides following the military coup and join resistance to the junta.

This loss of personnel has further weakened an already antiquated civil administration, making the management and distribution of relief efforts harder.

In a sign of the enormity of the disaster -- and perhaps in a tacit admission of the state's inability to respond -- Min Aung Hlaing issued a rare appeal for foreign aid on Friday.

This marked a major shift from previous military rulers who shunned all international assistance.

Poverty is rampant, the economy shattered, and international sanctions combined with the expense of fighting the civil war have drained the junta's coffers.

- Splintered control -

Much of Myanmar is controlled by a shifting patchwork of junta forces, ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy partisans.

The complex mosaic of control on the ground, often involving competing groups with different agendas, may further frustrate efforts to move relief resources to where they are needed around the country.

Sagaing city -- near the quake's epicentre -- has seen some of the heaviest fighting between junta forces and armed resistance groups.

Ethnic armed groups, border militias and the military have all been vying for control of local resources, spurring fears there will be a similar tussle for aid.

- Poor infrastructure -

Myanmar's infrastructure and medical system have been ravaged by the civil war.

The junta has bombed hospitals in rebel-held areas and many doctors have abandoned government medical facilities to join the rebellion.

The UN has said hospitals in Mandalay, Magway and the capital Naypyidaw "are struggling to cope with the influx of people injured".

The country was already beset by phone and internet blackouts but the quake has further hurt communications and the ability to direct aid to the most in need.

Internet communications in Mandalay were patchy and land and air routes severely disrupted after the quake buckled roads.

With many houses collapsed, the UN and other NGOs say solutions are needed for the many left homeless.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh dispatches emergency relief for Myanmar earthquake victims

Bangladesh has promptly responded to the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Myanmar on 28 March

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Bangladesh dispatches emergency relief for Myanmar earthquake victims
BSS
Published: 31 Mar 2025, 11: 23

Two Bangladesh Air Force/Army aircrafts landed at Yangon Airport on 31 March BSS

With dispatching emergency relief aid, Bangladesh has promptly responded to the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Myanmar on 28 March last killing at least 1,644 people and injuring 3,408 others.

Under the instructions of the Chief Advisor, initiatives have been taken to send rescue and medical assistance teams from Bangladesh to Myanmar through the Bangladesh Armed Forces to provide relief materials such as medicines, tents, dry food and rescue and medical services on an emergency basis.

A release of the Directorate of Inter-Services of Public Relations (ISPR) said this evening.

Two Bangladesh Air Force/Army aircrafts (C-130 and CASA) landed at Yangon Airport today, carrying 16.5 metric tonnes of emergency relief materials, including tents, food packets, medicines, water, hygiene kits, plastic sheets, mosquito nets, solar lights and other essential supplies.

The relief supplies being sent to Myanmar today are only a part of the planned relief aid. Later, subject to the permission of the Myanmar government, more relief aid and a rescue and medical assistance teams led by the Bangladesh Army will be sent, the ISPR said.

A 26-member expert search and rescue team of the Bangladesh Armed Forces and a 10-member rescue team from the Fire Service and Civil Defense are ready to provide necessary assistance for the rescue operation.

In addition, two medical teams of 11 members each, 10 of them from the Bangladesh Army and civilian doctors, have also been kept ready to provide medical services.

The Bangladesh Armed Forces are always committed to volunteering for any global needs as per the government's instructions in the coming days, the ISPR added.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh sends 2nd consignment of emergency aid to Myanmar

Bangladesh has sent the second mission of emergency medicines and relief supplies to the victims of the devastating earthquake in Myanmar.

en.prothomalo.com

Bangladesh sends 2nd consignment of emergency aid to Myanmar
UNB
Published: 01 Apr 2025, 13: 47

Bangladesh sends supplies and medicines to Myanmar via three transport aircraft of the Bangladesh Army (BA) and Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) on Tuesday morning UNB

Bangladesh has sent the second mission of emergency medicines and relief supplies to the victims of the devastating earthquake in Myanmar.

These supplies and medicines were sent via three transport aircraft of the Bangladesh Army (BA) and Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) on Tuesday morning, following the instructions of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, CA's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said.

The mission consists of rescue and medical teams composed of rescue experts from all three services, Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) doctors, Bangladesh Army (BA) doctors, and civilian doctors.

The total number of rescuers and doctors is 55.

Besides, there are 37 crew members on board in three aircraft.

The rescue and medical teams carry their self-sustainment items (rations, hygiene facilities, communication equipment, cooking utensils, etc.).

Besides, eight tonnes of dry food, 2.5 tonnes of water, four tonnes of medicine, one tonne of hygiene products, and 1.5 tonnes of relief tents are sent for the earthquake-stricken people.

Earlier on Sunday, Bangladesh sent its first mission of urgent relief materials, including medicines, tents, dry food, and medical teams, to Myanmar through the Bangladesh Armed Forces, led by the Bangladesh Army​

 

[Saif]

With U.S. absent, China steps in for earthquake-hit Myanmar

After a 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook Myanmar on Friday, killing more than 2,800 people, international rescuers rushed into the devastated Southeast Asian country. The most ubiquitous among them have been Chinese relief workers, whose blue and orange uniforms appear across videos circulating on s

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

With U.S. absent, China steps in for earthquake-hit Myanmar
REUTERS
Published :
Apr 02, 2025 19:52
Updated :
Apr 02, 2025 19:52

Members of the Chinese Red Cross International Emergency Response Team work at a collapsed residential building following the earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar March 31, 2025. Photo : China Daily via REUTERS/Files

After a 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook Myanmar on Friday, killing more than 2,800 people, international rescuers rushed into the devastated Southeast Asian country.

The most ubiquitous among them have been Chinese relief workers, whose blue and orange uniforms appear across videos circulating on social media.

The posts are often accompanied with expressions of gratitude toward Beijing, whose first responders - as well as their Indian and Russian colleagues - have pulled dazed survivors and bodies out from the rubble of hotels, schools, and monasteries.

The reaction marks a change in the negative reception China often receives on Myanmar’s social media because of its support for the unpopular military junta.

America’s chief geopolitical rival has so far pledged to deliver 100 million yuan ($13.76 million) worth of supplies. The first batch of aid, including tents, blankets and first aid kits arrived in Yangon on Monday, Beijing has said.

The United States, which was until recently the world’s top humanitarian donor, has offered a relatively modest $2 million. Washington also said it would send a three-member assessment team, though their arrival has been delayed by problems obtaining visas from the military regime.

In past years, when tsunamis, earthquakes and other disasters struck around the world, the U.S. had regularly and rapidly deployed skilled rescue workers to save lives.

The American absence shows how President Donald Trump’s moves to slash the size of the U.S. government has hobbled its ability to act during disasters, three current and former U.S. officials told Reuters.

With Trump’s blessing, billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has enacted huge funding cuts and contractor terminations across the federal bureaucracy in the name of targeting wasteful spending.

Trump has also moved to fire nearly all U.S. Agency for International Development staff, who oversee Washington’s disaster response efforts overseas.

A functional USAID would have activated urban search-and-rescue teams that were capable of being deployed to Myanmar in 48 hours, said Marcia Wong, formerly a top humanitarian official at USAID.

But most of the people who would have coordinated the response have been let go, while third-party partners have lost contracts, she said.

“We have created a vacuum which can allow other actors to step in,” Wong said.

Former U.S. ambassador to Myanmar Scot Marciel told Reuters that while it was unlikely the junta would have allowed big U.S. military teams to enter, Washington could still have “responded more quickly and robustly” were it not for the cuts.

The State Department, which administers the remaining USAID programs, did not immediately return a request for comment. The junta and China’s foreign ministry also did not respond to questions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that the cuts targeted programs that “did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed)” U.S. interests. His spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters Monday that disaster relief experts were monitoring the situation.

CHINA ON FRONT FOOT

Hours after the quake, the Trump administration told Congress in a pre-planned move that it was firing nearly all remaining USAID personnel and closing its foreign missions.

Meanwhile, Beijing dispatched first-response teams, including dozens of medical workers, earthquake experts, field hospital workers and rescue dogs.

Those teams have been some of the main visible signs of official assistance in affected areas like Mandalay and Sagaing, where residents said they received no help from the military.

India’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday its aircraft and ships had delivered 625 tons of aid, while rescue workers had recovered 16 bodies from Mandalay and treated 104 patients. Russia and India have also set up mobile hospitals.

China has used its state media machine to broadcast its relief efforts.

English-language state broadcaster CGTN was one of the few international media outlets with reporters sending on-camera dispatches from Mandalay, the epicentre of the disaster.

State-run news agency Xinhua has also run extensive reports showing China’s relief efforts.

Some rescue teams entered Myanmar from China’s Yunnan province, travelling overland through areas held by rebels which are opposed to the junta but have a complex relationship with Beijing.

The decision to send rescuers by road as well as air was seen by analysts like Sai Tun Aung Lwin as a signal from Beijing that it had influence with both the rebels and the junta.

China appears to have opened a “humanitarian corridor” that effectively stretches through rebel and junta territory, said the researcher, who studies China’s role in Myanmar. “On social media, the anti-China sentiment (is in) significant decline.”

The junta said Wednesday it had fired warning shots at a convoy from the Chinese Red Cross because it had not asked permission to drive from Yunnan through to Mandalay, including through areas where junta troops have been clashing with opposition armies.

Beijing later said there were no casualties.

‘PROFOUND GRATITUDE’

Myanmar sits between China and India and is of crucial strategic importance to both countries.

Washington also enjoyed warm relations with the Southeast Asian nation under a brief quasi-democratic period before the military seized power in 2021, toppling the elected government led by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The junta has brutally quashed dissent and sparked a spiralling civil war. However, it remains backed by Beijing, which sees the junta as a guarantor of stability though rebel forces now control most of the borderlands.

Many in the opposition regard China negatively for its role propping up the military. A 2024 poll of regional decision-makers by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, a Singapore-based think-tank, found 65% of Myanmar respondents distrusted Beijing.

A spokesperson for Myanmar’s National Unity Government, a parallel administration that includes members of Suu Kyi’s deposed government, said in a statement that it had “profound gratitude to the international rescue teams who have arrived without delay to assist and save the people of Myanmar.”

Washington has retained influence, especially among the opposition to the junta, through humanitarian aid and funds for the democracy movement. The recent Trump-directed cuts, however, have largely erased both.

At least 28 USAID and State Department programs supporting Myanmar have been terminated, according to documents shared with Congress and reviewed by Reuters.

Marciel said Washington’s relations with Myanmar should matter to U.S. citizens because winning international backing for matters of national concern, including “the willingness to stand up to China at times - all depend heavily on the extent of U.S. influence”.​

 

[Saif]

Lesson learnt from Myanmar quake

The death and devastation caused by the Friday's earthquake of 7.7 Moment magnitude scale (Mw) in Myanmar have been on the rise with rescuers accessing the worst affected areas near Mandalay. By Monday the death toll was approaching the 3,000 mark and the number of the injured closing to 5,000. The

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Lesson learnt from Myanmar quake
Published :
Apr 02, 2025 23:43
Updated :
Apr 02, 2025 23:43

The death and devastation caused by the Friday's earthquake of 7.7 Moment magnitude scale (Mw) in Myanmar have been on the rise with rescuers accessing the worst affected areas near Mandalay. By Monday the death toll was approaching the 3,000 mark and the number of the injured closing to 5,000. The US Geological Survey which measured the quake's magnitude estimates on the basis of its modelling that the death toll may exceed 10,000 and the losses surpass the country's annual output. For the strife-torn and military junta-led country, the seismic convulsion of this magnitude could not come at a worse time. Although the junta controls the main urban centres, the wider parts of the country has been captured by the National Unity Government (NUG) representing its armed wing, the People's Defence Force (PDF) and other rebel groups. To the junta, the overwhelming concern is to stay in power rather than coordinating a rescue operation in collaboration with countries possessing the required machines and tools as well as expertise in such an emergency.

Although the PDF has suspended its armed hostility, except in self defence, for two weeks, the military government still continued air strikes in some areas, drawing international criticism. However, to its credit, the administration in Nay Pyi Taw has made a rare appeal for international help following which aid from China and India started arriving in the country. How the relief materials will be distributed among the survivors may remain contentious with the warring parties not cooperating at this critical time. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has made it clear that the crisis of medical care, clean drinking water, food, tent and other basic materials is acute. In the absence of electricity, the situation has become worse still. If the military authorities themselves fail to actively respond to the emergency, the international community cannot rise up to the challenges of this humanitarian service.

The quake that has struck Myanmar was felt in its neighbouring countries including Bangladesh. In Thailand an under-construction high-rise building collapsed, killing at least 14 people there and the total casualty reaching at least 21. This tremor did not cause any loss of life or property in Bangladesh but it surely is a wake-up call for the country that finds itself located at the convergence of the Indian, Eurasian and Burmese tectonic plates. Naturally, the country is earthquake-prone. Although no major seismic disaster took place since the last one of 7.2 Mw struck Netrokona on July 8, 1918, the frequent mild tremors of recent years may be indicative, according to seismologists, of one quite ominous.

Sure enough, a civilian government unlike the military junta in Myanmar is expected to marshal all the forces and capabilities it has under its disposal to respond to such a likely crisis. But the fact is, the Bangladesh authorities have failed to procure the advanced machines and equipment to deal with a severe post-quake crisis. The urban mess in Dhaka and Chattogram ---the latter to have experienced the greatest seismic jolts measuring 6.2 Mw and 5.5 Mw as late as November 26, 2021 and December 2, 2023 respectively---may present a disaster of cataclysmic proportion in case a quake of greater magnitude strikes. In Dhaka, the Fire Service and Civil Defence was supposed to train 62,000 volunteers but hardly have such drills been noticeable. The situation demands procurement of sophisticated and heavy-duty machines and tools along with readying trained volunteers to deal with quake crisis, if any.​