Month: April 2025

More than 2,000 people in Myanmar have been killed following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that affected areas as far as Thailand and China, the BBC reports.

Myanmar’s military government has declared a week of national mourning, with a moment of silence to be held later on Tuesday at 12:51 local, the exact time the quake struck on Friday.

In neighboring Thailand, 20 people are known to have died, and thousands have been evacuated from cracked buildings in Bangkok.

Rescuers in both countries are still continuing their search for survivors, though hopes are fading as the critical window – the first 72 hours after a quake – has passed.

The UN says the earthquake has compounded “an already dire crisis” in Myanmar, which is in the midst of a four-year civil war. Despite the destruction, reports suggest the country’s military leaders are still carrying out air strikes against pro-democracy rebel groups.