Myanmar-Thailand earthquake live updates: Death toll crosses 2,000 in Myanmar

The 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled much of Southeast Asia on Friday.

ByMark Osborne, Jon Haworth, Meredith Deliso, David Brennan, Ivan Pereira, Kevin Shalvey, and Megan Forrester
Last Updated: March 31, 2025, 3:38 PM EDT

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled much of Southeast Asia on Friday, resulting in mounting casualties and flattened skyscrapers from Myanmar to Thailand.

The epicenter was in Mandalay, Myanmar, the country's second-largest city. Even Bangkok, some 600 miles away, felt widespread shaking and saw significant damage from the quake -- including the total collapse of a skyscraper under construction.

Map locator where earthquake hit in Myanmar, Mar. 28, 2025.
AP

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Mar 31, 12:28 pm

Death toll crosses 2,000

Rescue workers are seen working at the collapsed construction building in Chatuchak area during the night on March 28, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Sirachai Arunrugstichai/Getty Images

Casualties are expected to rise as search and rescue efforts are underway in collapsed buildings in Myanmar and Thailand, officials said.

In Myanmar, the death toll has climbed to 2,056, with more than 3,900 people injured and 270 people reported missing, according to the Myanmar Military Junta.

In Bangkok, at least 13 people were killed in a building collapse in Chatuchak, according to the Bangkok Metro Authority.

Mar 31, 2025, 12:13 PM EDT

Myanmar death toll climbs to 2,056

In Myanmar, the death toll has climbed to 2,056, with more than 3,900 people injured and 270 people reported missing, according to the Myanmar Military Junta.

Myanmar State TV announced that seven days of national mourning begin on Monday.

Rescue personnel operate following a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 31, 2025.
Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters

The United Nations Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop called for “all sides” in Myanmar to “allow for humanitarian relief and ensure that aid workers can operate in safety,” in a statement to U.N. reporters issued Monday.

“Continuing military operations in disaster-affected areas risks further loss of life and undermines the shared imperative to respond,” the statement added.

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Ellie Kaufman

Mar 31, 2025, 11:57 AM EDT

2 more bodies recovered from collapsed building

Two more bodies were recovered from the collapsed building site in Bangkok as the search for survivors continues, according to the Bangkok Metro Authority.

Family members react as the remains of a victim from the under-construction building collapse site are loaded into an ambulance at the Police Hospital in Bangkok on March 31, 2025.
Manan Vatsyayana/AFP via Getty Images

The death toll at the building collapse rose to 13 on Monday, the metro authority said.

The critical 72-hour window for finding survivors in the collapsed building has passed, according to Bangkok Deputy Gov. Tavida Kamolevj.

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti

Mar 31, 2025, 1:36 AM EDT

Myanmar faces worst devastation in Asia in 100 years, IFRC says

Myanmar is experiencing "a level of devastation that hasn't been seen over a century in Asia," the acting head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said following Friday's earthquake.

"This is a level of the earthquake that we're going to see not just today, tomorrow, but for the next weeks," Marie Manrique told CNN on Sunday.

Rescuers search for survivors trapped in the collapsed Sky Villa Condominium building in Mandalay on March 29, 2025, a day after an earthquake struck central Myanmar.
Sai Aung Main/AFP via Getty Images

The IFRC launched an emergency appeal calling for "global solidarity" as it mobilized its teams to help in the rescue efforts in Myanmar.

The IFRC statement reported significant damage to critical infrastructure across the country, noting that "airports in Mandalay and Naypyidaw remain closed due to safety concerns and telecommunications outages are hampering coordination in several regions."

Addressing the many issues facing humanitarian efforts, the organization's regional director for Asia Pacific, Alexander Matheou said, "This is not just a disaster; it is a complex humanitarian crisis layered over existing vulnerabilities."

"Myanmar continues to face internal displacement and food insecurity," Matheou said. "This earthquake exacerbates an already fragile situation. The global community must step forward to support a bold and sustained response."

-ABC News' Mike Trew and Victoria Beaule

Mar 30, 2025, 4:41 AM EDT

5.1 magnitude aftershock strikes Myanmar

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck about 17 miles north of Mandalay, Myanmar, on Sunday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake near the second-largest city in Myanmar came amid a series of aftershocks following a powerful 7.7 magnitude that struck the country with an epicenter near Mandalay on Friday afternoon.

Rescue workers search for victims trapped in the rubble of a damaged temple in Mandalay on March 30, 2025, two days after an earthquake struck central Myanmar.
Sai Aung Main/AFP via Getty Images

Rescue workers carry the body of a victim at the site of an under-construction building collapse in Bangkok on March 30, 2025, two days after an earthquake struck central Myanmar and Thailand.
Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images

The USGS also recorded another strong aftershock, as a 4.2 magnitude quake hit struck near Shwebo, which is about 68 miles northwest of Mandalay, earlier on Sunday.

-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian

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