Death toll in Burma, Thailand earthquake rises to more than 1,600 victims

The decease toll from the devastating earthquake that rocked Burma and Thailand connected Friday has risen sharply to much than 1,650 victims. 

The earthquake's epicenter was successful cardinal Burma, wherever 1,644 person been confirmed dormant with astir 140 radical inactive missing, the nation’s ruling subject said Saturday.

The 7.7 magnitude quake knocked down scores of buildings arsenic good arsenic destroyed bridges and highways successful what was the deadliest earthy catastrophe to deed the impoverished, war-torn state successful years. Burma is besides known arsenic Myanmar. 

Survivors successful Mandalay, Burma's second-biggest city, dug with their bare hands connected Friday in desperate attempts to prevention those inactive trapped, lacking dense machinery and with authorities absent. Burma's subject rulers fto successful hundreds of overseas rescue unit connected Saturday.

Rescue unit enactment astatine the tract of a gathering that collapsed, pursuing a beardown earthquake, successful Mandalay, Burma connected March 29, 2025.  (REUTERS/Stringer)

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The quake struck during Friday prayers crossed the country, causing the illness of astatine slightest 50 mosques crossed the country, sidesplitting astir 300 people, the Yangon Khit Thit News Agency reported. 

An archetypal appraisal by Burma's absorption National Unity Government said astatine slightest 2,900 buildings, 30 roads and 7 bridges had been damaged by the quake.

The quake comes amid a raging civilian warfare that has wrecked the system and displaced millions. It makes question astir the state some hard and dangerous, complicating alleviation efforts and raising fears that the decease toll could inactive emergence precipitously.

People thrust connected a motorbike past a collapsed gathering successful Mandalay connected March 28, 2025, aft an earthquake successful cardinal Burma. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Airports excessively person been damaged, further hindering rescue efforts. For instance, outer photos from Planet Labs PBC amusement the earthquake toppled the aerial postulation power operation astatine Naypyitaw International Airport arsenic if sheered from its base, according to The Associated Press.

The state sits connected the Sagaing Fault, a large north-south responsibility that separates the India sheet and the Sunda plate.

WATCH: First responders wide leveled flat gathering successful Thailand aft almighty earthquake

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President Donald Trump said the earthquake was "terrible" connected Friday and assured that the United States would assistance successful alleviation efforts.

"It's a existent atrocious one, and we volition beryllium helping. We've already spoken with the country," Trump said.

In neighboring Thailand, wherever the quake shook buildings and brought down a skyscraper nether operation successful the superior Bangkok, astatine slightest 10 radical were killed.

Dramatic footage captured successful Bangkok midday Friday showed a 33-story flat gathering that was nether operation falling down, scattering particulate and debris passim the city's streets. Bangkok metropolis authorities said earlier Friday that 10 radical were killed, 16 were injured. 

Water from a abstracted high-rise gathering with rooftop pools successful Bangkok spilled implicit the broadside arsenic they shook and debris fell from galore buildings.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said the state has present "returned to normalcy."

Aftershocks were reportedly felt successful India and China. 

WATCH: Skyscraper successful Bangkok collapses aft 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocks Burma, Thailand

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Photos and video from Burma showed 2 hard-hit cities with extended damage. 

In Mandalay, Burma's second-largest city and adjacent to the epicenter, the earthquake damaged portion of the erstwhile royal palace and buildings, according to videos and photos released connected Facebook societal media.

In the Sagaing portion conscionable southwest of Mandalay, a 90-year-old span collapsed, and immoderate sections of the road connecting Mandalay and the metropolis of Yangon were besides damaged.

In the superior Naypyitaw, the quake damaged spiritual shrines, sending parts toppling to the crushed and immoderate homes.

 Christina Shaw, Greg Norman, Bradford Betz Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.