Around noon on March 28th, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the Sagaing area near Mandalay in Myanmar. The powerful seismic event caused devastation in the surrounding areas, after people lost their homes, belongings, and loved ones.
Mandalay is Myanmar’s second-largest city, with a population of around 1.2 million. The region lies on the Sagaing fault line, and as a result has experienced severe earthquakes before and is prone to seismic activity. The most recent earthquake to hit 7.0 magnitude was in 1990, meaning it has been nearly 35 years since an earthquake close to this magnitude occurred.
As of now, there are over 5,000 casualties confirmed to be a result of the earthquake. Over 9 million people across multiple townships were affected.
The UN is providing relief efforts using funding that was originally allocated to Myanmar’s ongoing humanitarian crisis in 2024. The country was struck by this earthquake in the midst of a crisis beginning in 2021, relating to a civil war between opposing military forces due to a coup and subsequent attacks on anti-coup protests. Many residents were already experiencing strife due to the civil war, so the earthquake has only exacerbated the current situation.
Aftershocks from the earthquake are still occurring. Since March 28th, the region has been struck by a series of small earthquakes. Due to the region’s proximity to the Thai border, some of the aftershocks have even found their epicenter in Thailand.
Relief efforts will continue, and the UN urges for a temporary ceasefire in Myanmar to allow the country to recover from this devastating event.
