Myanmar earthquake death toll surpasses 3,300: State media
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Over a week after the disaster, thousands remain without shelter—many sleeping in the open after their homes collapsed or out of fear of aftershocks.
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Visitors walk near the entrance to Maha Aungmye Bonzan Monastery, commonly known as the Me Nu Brick Monastery, in the aftermath of Friday's earthquake in Innwa, Tada-U township, Mandalay, Myanmar, Friday, April 4, 2025 (AP)
The death toll from the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28 has climbed to over 3,300, according to state media reports released Saturday.
The 7.7-magnitude quake leveled buildings and crippled infrastructure nationwide, with official figures now listing 3,354 people killed, 4,508 injured, and 220 still missing.
Over a week after the disaster, thousands remain without shelter—many sleeping in the open after their homes collapsed or out of fear of aftershocks.
The United Nations estimates that more than three million people have been affected by the quake, which adds to the country’s suffering after four years of conflict.
“The destruction is staggering,” UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said during a visit to Mandalay, one of the hardest-hit cities near the epicenter. “The world must rally behind the people of Myanmar,” he urged in a post on X.
The updated death toll comes as Myanmar’s junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, returned from a rare international visit to a regional summit in Bangkok, where he met with the Thai and Indian prime ministers. His appearance sparked backlash, with demonstrators calling him a “murderer” and anti-junta activists denouncing his participation.
Since the military seized power in a 2021 coup, Myanmar has been locked in a complex conflict. Despite the earthquake, the UN reported that the junta has continued military operations, carrying out at least 16 attacks since announcing a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday.
Years of unrest have ravaged Myanmar’s economy and infrastructure, severely complicating international aid efforts. While China, Russia, and India quickly dispatched rescue teams, the United States has been slower to mobilize after US President Donald Trump dismantled the country’s humanitarian aid agency.
Biggest earthquake in decades
Earthquakes are commonplace in Myanmar, which lies along the Sagaing fault, however, the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit the country on March 28 is the biggest in decades, and the tremors severely damaged buildings in Bangkok, hundreds of kilometers away from the earthquake's epicenter.
At the time, Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing made an unusually rare request for international assistance, despite the country's historical reluctance under past military regimes to accept foreign aid even following catastrophic natural events.
Aid agencies have warned that Myanmar cannot handle a disaster of this scale, as approximately 3.5 million people were already displaced by the ongoing conflict—many facing hunger—even before the earthquake hit, while the UN humanitarian agency OCHA reported on Saturday that the emergency response was being hampered by a severe shortage of medical supplies and damaged roads.
