According to the information group of the Myanmar National Management Committee on March 29th, as of now, the strong earthquake in Myanmar has caused 694 deaths and 1670 injuries in the Mandalay area, and the number of casualties may continue to rise. The 7.9-magnitude earthquake occurred at 2:20 pm on March 28th, with a depth of 30 kilometers. The epicenter was located in central Myanmar, causing severe damage to multiple areas. 鈥�

Multiple areas were affected by the disaster, with severe damage to infrastructure

This earthquake is a shallow earthquake with great destructive power. The cities of Sagaing and Mandalay, the second largest city near the epicenter, were significantly affected. The Shijie Bridge, which spans the Irrawaddy River and connects Shijie and Mandalay, has broken at the waist, causing the interruption of three national highways in northern Myanmar and the deformation of about 200 kilometers of railway tracks, seriously hindering the transportation of rescue supplies. 鈥�

Over 300 buildings collapsed in Mandalay province, including a hospital and two schools. The exterior walls of the royal palace built in the 19th century extensively peeled off and collapsed, and a mosque collapsed, resulting in at least 10 deaths. Some schools and office buildings in Naypyidaw have also collapsed. The runway of Mandalay International Airport was damaged, and all flights were grounded. In addition, power supply and communication have been disrupted in some areas of Myanmar. Ruili, China, which is adjacent to Myanmar, also felt obvious tremors. Bricks and stones fell from high-rise buildings in the center of Ruili, and water poured down from rooftops like a waterfall. 鈥�

Multiple responses and active rescue operations

The Myanmar National Management Committee has declared a state of emergency in severely earthquake affected areas such as Sagaing and Mandalay provinces. The country's leader Min Ang Lai called on the international community to provide assistance and called on the public to donate blood and medical supplies to treat the injured victims. 鈥�

Multiple rescue forces from China rushed to provide emergency assistance. On the morning of March 29th, a team of 37 Chinese Yunnan rescue medical personnel arrived at Yangon International Airport in Myanmar carrying emergency rescue supplies, becoming the first international rescue team to arrive. On the same day, 82 members of the Chinese rescue team departed from the capital airport by Air China charter flight and flew to the disaster area. In addition, 23 members of Xiamen Shuguang Rescue Team, 16 members of China Ram Rescue Team, and 16 members of China Blue Sky Rescue Yunnan Team also went to Myanmar to participate in the rescue. The Chinese government has also decided to provide 100 million yuan in emergency humanitarian earthquake relief aid to Myanmar, and plans to launch the first batch of aid supplies on the 31st. 鈥�

The international community has extended a helping hand one after another. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated that the UN system is mobilizing efforts to provide assistance to disaster affected populations and has allocated an initial $5 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to support post disaster relief efforts. Leaders of neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and India expressed condolences and expressed willingness to provide humanitarian assistance. The United States, Australia, New Zealand and other countries, as well as the European Union, have also expressed condolences to Myanmar, and some countries have stated that they will provide assistance. 鈥�

At present, the rescue work in the disaster area is still being carried out intensively, and the situation of the disaster and the progress of the rescue need further attention. 鈥�