Myanmar Earthquake: Over 2,000 Dead from 7.7 Magnitude – A Week of National Mourning

A minute of silence will be observed tomorrow (April 1, 2025) in Myanmar for the thousands of victims left behind by the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake. The terrible seismic shock killed more than 2,000 people, according to an announcement today (March 31, 2025) by the ruling military junta. In Myanmar, all activities will halt tomorrow at 12:51 and two seconds local time (08:21 Greek time), the exact moment the 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the Asian country, as announced by the junta in a press release. Earlier, the military junta declared a week of national mourning following the deadly earthquake that killed over 2,000 people on March 28, with hopes of finding survivors diminishing hour by hour. The mourning period lasts until Sunday, April 6, as stated in a press release by the military, which announced that flags would fly at half-mast “as a sign of condolence for the human losses and damages caused by the exceptionally violent earthquake.” Experts fear additional thousands of fatalities despite international mobilization to aid this resource-strapped nation embroiled in civil war. Rescue teams managed to free four individuals, including a pregnant woman and a girl, from flattened buildings in Mandalay, reported the Chinese news agency ‘Xinhua.’ Images from CCTV showed Chinese rescuers carrying a survivor wrapped in a thermal blanket near piles of rubble in a residential building in Mandalay. On Friday afternoon, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar, followed shortly by a 6.7-magnitude quake. Over the weekend (March 29-30, 2025), several strong aftershocks were recorded along the Sagaing fault line where much of Myanmar’s population resides. The earthquake, unprecedented in magnitude in Myanmar for decades, caused chaos up to 1,000 kilometers from its epicenter, such as in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, where at least 19 people died, particularly during the collapse of a 30-story under-construction skyscraper. In Mandalay, the second-largest city near the epicenter, rescue efforts proceeded at a slower pace compared to yesterday. The scorching heat, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius at midday, burdens the rescuers working around the collapsed buildings and accelerates the decomposition of bodies trapped under the debris, complicating their identification. As the 1,000-bed general hospital in Mandalay was evacuated, hundreds of patients are receiving care in open-air spaces. “It is a very, very inadequate situation for everyone,” said a member of the medical team. “We’re doing our best.” Hundreds of victims’ funerals are expected today as the grieving Muslim community celebrates Eid, marking the end of Ramadan. “Under normal circumstances, we would be very happy because it’s Eid,” said Win Thiri Aung, a 26-year-old devout resident of Mandalay. “However, our hearts are heavy this year.” Myanmar authorities reported approximately 2,056 deaths, 3,900 injured, and 270 missing. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the death of two French nationals visiting Myanmar. Three Chinese citizens also perished in the earthquake, reported the state-run ‘Xinhua’ news agency.