Myanmar-Thailand earthquake death toll surges past 1,000

The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand has surpassed 1,000, as emergency crews dig through the rubble in a desperate search for survivors.

At least 1,002 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 2,376 injured in Myanmar’s Mandalay region, according to a statement issued by the country’s military government on March 29. Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, is near the quake’s epicenter and bore the brunt of the destruction.

In Thailand’s capital, Bangkok — located roughly 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the epicenter — at least 10 fatalities have been confirmed. The toll is expected to rise as search teams continue sifting through the wreckage.

Myanmar’s ruling military reported extensive damage to infrastructure, including collapsed buildings, destroyed bridges, and buckled roads.

“Search and rescue operations are currently being carried out in the affected areas,” the statement said. The latest figures mark a sharp increase from the previously reported 144 deaths.

On March 28 afternoon, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck northwest of Sagaing in central Myanmar, triggering widespread destruction. Just minutes later, a powerful 6.7-magnitude aftershock followed, further worsening the devastation.

In Bangkok, rescuers worked through the night after a 30-story skyscraper under construction collapsed, leaving a scene of mangled steel and debris. Officials fear up to 100 workers may still be trapped beneath the wreckage.

“We are doing our best with the resources we have because every life matters,” Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said at the disaster site. “Our priority is acting as quickly as possible to save them all.”

City authorities have launched emergency inspections across Bangkok after receiving more than 2,000 reports of structural damage. Over 100 engineers have been deployed to assess buildings for safety as aftershocks rattle the region.

With communication lines down in remote areas, the full extent of the disaster remains unclear. But as rescue teams push forward, hopes of finding survivors are fading, according to media reports.