Myanmar Earthquake Death Toll Soars to Over 1,000, with Thousands More Injured and at Least 30 People Still Missing

More than 1,000 people have died following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar and nearby Thailand on Friday, March 28, according to reports.

The number of fatalities is currently 1,007, while 2,389 people are injured and at least 30 remain missing, the country’s military council confirmed on Saturday, March 29, per BBC News.

The earthquake struck at midday at 16 km (just under 10 miles) northwest of the city of Sagaing and was followed by a second 6.4-magnitude earthquake 12 minutes later, stretching 18 km (around 11 miles) south of the city, according to an initial report from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

More than 90 people are thought to be trapped in a collapsed apartment building in Mandalay, Myanmar, BBC News reported. This comes as multiple buildings collapsed and 1,591 houses were damaged in the earthquake, including a pre-school building in Kyaukse. The bodies of 12 students were recovered at the site on Saturday, per BBC News.

Crews have been working to recover victims, restore electricity and internet services, and repair damaged roads in the capital Naypyidaw, the Associated Press reported.

In Bangkok, six people have been found dead, 26 injured and 47 missing, with the majority missing from a construction site near Chatuchak market in the capital, national authorities told the outlet.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra declared Bangkok “an emergency zone” on Friday, the Thai government announced in an X post. Shinawatra also held a crisis meeting to coordinate safety measures including infrastructure inspection and nationwide emergency support, per a Thai government post on Facebook.

King Charles said in a statement on Friday that he is “shocked and saddened” at the destruction caused by the earthquakes in Myanmar in a message shared on the royal family’s Instagram Stories.

“To the people of Myanmar, My wife and I were most dreadfully shocked and saddened to learn of the devastating earthquake in Myanmar,” the message read. “I know that the people of Myanmar continue to endure so much hardship and tragedy in your lives, and I have long admired your extraordinary resilience and spirit.”

“At this most difficult and heartbreaking of times, my wife and I send our deepest possible sympathy to all those who have suffered the profound tragedy of losing their loved ones, their homes and their precious livelihoods,” the statement concluded.