Myanmar Earthquake Death Toll Surpasses 1,600, Anti-Coup Fighters Declare Two-Week Ceasefire: Top Updates

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand on Friday, killing over 1600 people and causing widespread destruction. Buildings collapsed, bridges were damaged, and roads cracked.

A powerful earthquake of 7.7 magnitude struck Myanmar and Thailand, causing widespread destruction

Source : X/WeatherMonitors | X/@gunsnrosesgirl3

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale struck Myanmar and Thailand on Friday, killing over 1600 people and injuring more than 3400. The tremor, which hit northwest of Sagaing in central Myanmar in the early afternoon, was followed by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock minutes later, causing widespread destruction.

Buildings collapsed, bridges were downed, and roads cracked across large parts of Myanmar. The devastation extended to Thailand, where a 30-storey skyscraper under construction in Bangkok crumbled, killing several people.

Friday's quake, among the biggest to jolt the Southeast Asian nation in the last century, also crippled airports, as the earthquake toppled the air traffic control tower at Naypyitaw International Airport. 

Here are the top updates on Myanmar's earthquake:

• At least 2,900 structures, 30 highways, and seven bridges were destroyed by the earthquake, according to an initial assessment of Myanmar's opposition National Unity Government.
• The control tower at the airport in Naypyitaw, Myanmar's purpose-built capital city, collapsed, making it inoperable.
• Myanmar’s anti-coup fighters, the People’s Defence Force (PDF), have announced a two-week ceasefire, allowing for rescue and relief operations to take place.
• The UK has pledged £10 million ($12.9 million) in humanitarian aid to support Myanmar’s relief efforts.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed that an Israeli professional rescue and aid team to be sent to Thailand to help with the aftermath of earthquake. It will assist in population-based and engineering rescue.
• The US Geological Service's predictive modelling estimated Myanmar's death toll could exceed 10,000.
• Hospitals in central and northwestern Myanmar were struggling to cope with the influx of injured people, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said, as reported by Reuters.
• India has launched Operation Brahma, deploying rescue teams, medical personnel, and naval ships to assist in relief efforts. According to the MEA, the first Indian Air Force C-130 aircraft carrying National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel landed in Naypyitaw. A second C-130 also landed in Naypyitaw with the remaining 38 personnel of NDRF and 10 tonnes of relief material.
• Russia, Malaysia and Singapore were also sending planeloads of relief supplies and personnel.