Myanmar earthquake survivors struggle for food, shelter due to civil war

Urgent need for shelter, food, and water after Myanmar earthquake kills 2,700, including 50 children, amid civil war.

Aid groups in the worst-hit areas of Myanmar said there was an urgent need for shelter, food and water after an earthquake that killed more than 2,700 people, including 50 preschoolers, but said the civil war could prevent help reaching those in need.

Chinese television reported the death toll reached 2,719 on Tuesday (April 1, 2025), with more than 4,500 injured, citing Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing, who said fatalities could top 3,000.

The death toll is more than 600 higher than the figure reported by Myanmar state media.

Lessons from a quake: on the Myanmar earthquake 

The 7.7 magnitude quake, which hit around lunchtime on Friday, was the strongest to hit the Southeast Asian country in more than a century, toppling ancient pagodas and modern buildings alike.

In neighbouring Thailand, rescuers pressed on searching for life in the rubble of a collapsed skyscraper in the capital Bangkok, but acknowledged time was against them.

In Myanmar's Mandalay area, 50 children and two teachers were killed when their preschool collapsed, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.