São Paulo, SP (Folhapress)-A 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Southeast Asia on Friday (28), killing at least 144 people in Myanmar and eight in Thailand. The tremor left a devastation scenario in the region -a building under construction collapsed in the Thai capital, Bancoc, and a 90 -year -old bridge collapsed in the Burmese Mandalay region in the center of the nation.
New updates increase the figure of the dead rapidly -an analysis of the USGS (United States Geological Service) states that, based on the strength and depth of the earthquake, there may be thousands of deaths.
The earthquake occurred at lunchtime at 12:50 pm (3:20 am in Brasilia, which is 9:30 am late compared to the region). According to USGS, the 7.7 magnitude event occurred at a depth of 10 km, followed by 11 minutes later by a strong replica of 6.4 and for more moderate ones. The closer the earth’s surface earthquake, the greater the damage -up to 70 km deep are often considered superficial.
“In general, the population of this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake tremors, although there are resistant structures,” said the organ’s analysis. “High casualties and extensive damage are likely, and the disaster is probably widespread.”
According to the Military Junta in Power in Myanmar, in addition to the more than 140 dead, there are 732 injured. In Thailand, the rescue operation that meets the collapse of the skyscraper in Banco said it looks for 117 missing in the construction.
The city was declared an “emergency area” by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who asked residents to empty high buildings; In Myanmar, the authorities declared a state of emergency in six regions.
The epicenter was 17 km from Mandalay, a city of about 1.5 million people who is the former real capital of Myanmar and an important center for Buddhism. But the earthquake was felt in places as distant as Bancoc, over 1,000 km away, and, according to the Xinhua news agency, Yunnan, province in southwest China, where there are no reports of victims.
In the Thai capital, tourists ran in bathrobes and panic bath while water fell from a pool at the top of a luxury hotel, according to witnesses, which quickly spread on social networks.
Data on dead and injured was slow to be disclosed, especially in Myanmar, governed by a military junta since 2021, when the country was the scene of a coup d’état. To frustrate dissent, the internet has been limited after disaster, which can disrupt the delivery of help in an emergency like the current falls, in which energy falls can already make communication difficult.
Even before the announcement of the dead numbers, several reports already indicated the extent of the damage. A Mandalay resident in Myanmar, for example, told Reuters to have seen the collapse of a five -story building; Another told the news agency that a tea house collapsed with several people stuck inside.
Already in Taungu, in the same country, a mosque partially collapsed, according to witnesses, and, in Aung Ban, the collapse of a hotel would have killed two people, according to the local vehicle Democratic Voice of Burma. In addition, some parts of the ceiling gave way and the walls suffered cracking at the Naipidau National Museum, Burmese capital.
MRTV, an army -run broadcaster, reported that the earthquake dropped buildings, crushed cars and left huge cracks on the city’s roads.
Amnesty International Myanmar researcher Joe Freeman said the earthquake could not have occurred at a worse time. The event should cause travel and demand humanitarian aid as Donald Trump’s government cuts limit US assistance to the world.
The situation of the country was no longer comfortable -in the spot of the civil government, the army left the economy and basic services such as harsh health, while the armed opposition took vast areas of the territory and expelled the joint from the border regions.
The fighting moved more than three million people, leading the country to widespread food insecurity, according to the United Nations. Finally, the country has also been hit by a series of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and the Mocha Cyclone in 2023.
Earthquakes are also relatively frequent -between 1930 and 1956, six tremors with a magnitude equal to or larger to 7 were recorded in the sagaing failure, which runs through the country’s center, according to the American geological service.
Nevertheless, the nation is not prepared for this type of event -the dizzying rhythm of the development of Burmese cities, combined with poor infrastructures and poor urban planning, make the country vulnerable to earthquakes and other disasters. The health system is saturated, in particular in rural areas.
The magnitude of destruction made a military spokesman for Myanmar, General Zaw Min Tun, to ask for humanitarian help from the international community. “We will cooperate with them to ensure the best care for victims,” he said in a rare appeal of the board for help from other countries, which reveals the severity of the situation.
European Commission Chairman Von Der Leyen said the bloc is ready to offer emergency aid to affected countries. “European copernicus satellites are already helping rescuers. We are ready to provide more support,” she wrote on social network. The World Health Organization, in turn, said she is studying sending supplies to trauma to Myanmar.
US President Donald Trump said at a news conference that he has already talked to the authority of the affected region and said “it’s a very bad situation, and we will help.” Still on Friday, however, the US government reported USAID (US Agency for International Development) employees that all positions not required by law would be eliminated. The organ historically plays an important role in coordinating disaster relief efforts.
