Death toll from Myanmar earthquake nears 3,000
DVB data team has documented that at least 2,928 bodies have been recovered from the areas of Burma hit by the 7.7 magnitude earthquake on March 28 by Sunday. The regime updated its death toll on Saturday stating that 1,644 bodies have been recovered, 3,408 people have been injured, and 139 people are still missing, in one of the most powerful earthquakes to hit Burma since 1912.
A state of emergency was declared in Sagaing – the epicenter of the earthquake – as well neighbouring Mandalay, Magway, Bago, Naypyidaw, and Shan State. “[We are] mobilizing funds, workforce, and machinery for rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts,” said Min Aung Hlaing on Sunday. The Fire Services Department stated that it had recovered 89 bodies and rescued 69 from collapsed buildings in Sagaing and Mandalay.
On Sunday, at least 200 bodies were recovered in more than 300 collapsed buildings across Pyawbwe, Thedaw and Wundwin towns of Mandalay Region, according to rescue workers. On Saturday, 15 bodies were recovered and 98 people were rescued from a collapsed condo building in Mandalay’s Aungmyaythazan Township and the Sassana Veikman Monastery in Chanayethazan Township.
Ninety percent of Sagaing town destroyed, say residents
Residents of Sagaing town told DVB that rescue teams have recovered 54 bodies from the Myodaw, Myoma and Masjid Jamae mosques in Minlan ward on Sunday. Residents added that 90 percent of the town has been completely destroyed. Sagaing town is located 68 miles (109 km) east of the Sagaing Region capital Monywa.
Over 300 bodies have been recovered from 50 mosques across central Burma. “The mosques collapsed while worshippers were inside for Friday prayers,” a Sagaing resident told DVB on condition of anonymity. “We need food, medicine, water and [body bags],” another resident, who didn’t want to share his name, told DVB. He added that telecommunication services are unavailable, making it difficult to share updates.
Over 30 students and an unknown number of teachers are trapped inside the Myatsaytana private kindergarten in Sagaing. But rescue teams said that they are unable to enter the building since they lack proper safety equipment. Another 30 children are trapped inside the Thukhakari Monastery. A rescue worker told DVB that there has been no assistance provided by the regime authorities as of March 30.
International community begins humanitarian aid deliveries
The U.S., the E.U., China, Russia, India, South Korea and the U.N. have pledged to send humanitarian aid to Burma after the earthquake struck on March 28. “We’re going to be helping,” U.S. President Donald Trump told the media from the Oval Office on Friday. “It’s terrible what’s happening. We’ve already spoken with the country.”
“The U.N. and its partners are urgently mobilizing to support emergency response efforts and stand ready to assist all affected communities wherever they are,” said Marcoluigi Corsi, the U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Burma, expressing his unwavering solidarity with the people “during this tragic time.”
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres told the media that the regime in Naypyidaw had requested international support on Friday and that its resources in the region would go toward supporting Burma. The E.U. pledged to provide 2.5 million Euros ($2.7 million USD) in initial emergency assistance. South Korea promised to send humanitarian aid worth $2 million USD.
News by Region
ARAKAN—Ponnagyun Township residents told DVB that regime forces fired three artillery shells which damaged the public hospital. Ponnagyun is located 21 miles (33 km) northeast of the state capital Sittwe. It was seized by the Arakan Army (AA) last March. About 3,000 residents have been displaced from their homes due to fighting.
No civilians were harmed as the hospital had been closed and staff had already fled with patients. This follows a March 25 airstrike on Aung Phyu Pyin Village in Ponnagyun, which killed three members of a family and injured six others sheltering inside a monastery. A previous airstrike hit a nearby village on March 22.
MANDALAY—Regime media reported that 400,000 exam papers from the 2025 matriculation exams were destroyed in a fire at the Mandalay University following the earthquake on Friday. Over 260 teachers who were grading the exams inside the university fled the building before the fire spread.
“Exam papers from Mandalay and Sagaing regions, as well as Kachin State were destroyed. The main hall [of the university] was also destroyed,” regime media added. The exam papers of 46,944 students from Mandalay Region, 7,311 students from Sagaing Region, and 8,699 students from Kachin State were reported destroyed.
YANGON—The Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation (YESC) announced that starting Saturday there would be four hours of electricity per day distributed to each township to allow residents to use water pumps. It added that efforts are underway to distribute power from gas turbines. A city-wide blackout occurred after Friday’s earthquake.
“The electricity came back on Saturday evening but only for two hours,” a resident of Dagon Seikkan Township told DVB on condition of anonymity. Electricity will be distributed in six newly-designated groups with each group receiving power for approximately four hours within a 24-hour period. The YESC did not state when each group would receive electricity.
(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,450 MMK)
Op-ed: ‘A disaster on top of a disaster’: Myanmar earthquake crisis unfolds. Follow DVB English News for updates on the relief and recovery efforts following the earthquake.
