• A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand, killing over 150 and injuring hundreds.
• Myanmar’s leader Min Aung Hlaing requested international aid, as the US Geological Survey predicted a possible death toll of more than 10,000.
• Eight deaths were confirmed in Thailand, with rescue efforts ongoing for those trapped in rubble.
• 161 Kiwis are registered as being in Thailand, seven in Myanmar.

The death toll from the Myanmar earthquake could easily surpass 10,000, according to modelling by the United States Geological Survey.

The huge earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand on Friday, killing more than 150 people and injuring hundreds, with dozens trapped in collapsed buildings.

The shallow 7.7-magnitude tremor hit northwest of the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar in the early afternoon, and was followed minutes later by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock.

The quake flattened buildings, downed bridges, and cracked roads across swathes of Myanmar, and even demolished a 30-storey skyscraper under construction hundreds of kilometres away in Bangkok.

Myanmar’s normally secretive military government has made an extraordinary plea for international assistance, as it confirms the current toll does not include Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, which lies near the epicenter.

Modeling by the United States Geological Survey roughly estimates that the death toll is likely to surpass 1,000, and could be much higher. A death toll of more than 10,000 is a strong possibility, given the proximity of populated areas and the vulnerability of nearby structures, the estimates suggest.

02:46 pm

Unicef teams assessing damage, preparing response efforts

Unicef teams are on the ground assessing damage and preparing to assist in emergency response efforts after the deadly 7.7 earthquake struck central Myanmar. 

An appeal for funds has also been set up.

Initial reports show severe damage to buildings and roads in Sagaing as well as in Nay Pyi Daw and Mandalay, urban centres that are home to hundreds of thousands of children. 

Unicef Aotearoa Director of Communications Tania Sawicki Mead said prior to the earthquake, the organisation had already estimated that in 2025 19.9 million people, including 6.3 million children, would require humanitarian assistance in Myanmar. 

"We are calling for donors and supporters to help us in this critical time of need as we work to support devastated children and their families in Myanmar. 

Now, more than ever, they need us," she said. 2:18 Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, was among the hardest-hit areas, with widespread destruction and urgent humanitarian needs. 

The earthquake was the latest blow to a country already struggling with escalating conflict and climate shocks. Millions of children were already living in fear and conflict, facing displacement and deepening poverty. 

Unicef and partners are reaching children in need with lifesaving services despite these significant challenges — but critically low funding remains a major issue. 

Funds were desperately needed to continue critical support for nutrition, emergency healthcare assistance, immunisation and clean drinking water, a Unicef spokesperson said.

12:02 pm

MFAT update - 'no indication' that any NZers killed or injured in quake

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade update

• MFAT is closely monitoring the impacts of the significant 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar and our thoughts are with the affected countries, particularly the people of Myanmar and Thailand where the damage is most significant.

• SafeTravel messaging has been issued to New Zealanders registered in Myanmar (7) and Thailand (203). New Zealanders in the affected areas should follow the advice of local authorities at all times, including any evacuation orders. New Zealanders should also let their family and friends in New Zealand know that they are safe when they are able to.

• We have no indication that any New Zealanders have been killed or injured in the earthquakes.

• Flights into and out of Bangkok have been disrupted, but we understand that the airport is now operating. Travellers should check with their airline about the status of their flight.

• New Zealanders who require urgent consular assistance can contact the 24/7 consular emergency line on +64 99 20 20 20.

• All staff from the New Zealand embassies in Yangon and Bangkok have been accounted for. We are continuing to assess the impact on our embassy operations in both countries.

• New Zealand is closely monitoring the humanitarian situation and response.

11:50 am

Bangkok rescuers thwarted by falling debris

Rescue workers at the collapsed high-rise building in Bangkok have said the most challenging part of their mission is that some debris still keepsfalling down, posing safety risks to the workers and those trapped underneath.

Sniffer dogs and drones have been used to help find the survivors but the rescuers told the BBC it is still too difficult to narrow down the area to enter.

11:48 am

11:44 am

Rescuer's view of Mandalay 'horrific'

A rescue worker in Mandalay tells the BBC Burmese Service that "most of the buildings have collapsed" in Myanmar's second-largest city.

"The view of Mandalay as we began our rescue was horrific," the rescuer says, describing how people were "running in the streets, screaming and crying".

"We had to rescue people trapped in the rubble. Mandalay General Hospital is almost full", with many patients suffering heart attacks.

The rescuer - who didn't want to be identified for security reasons - says the hospital itself was damaged by the earthquake.

As night fell, "people don't dare go back into their homes. They are so afraid. Some were sitting on the street... unable to sleep.

"They are terrified after their families, friends, and relatives disappeared before their eyes."

11:11 am

Kiwi felt quake on 27th floor of Bangkok tower

New Zealander Tane Evans was in an office building in Bangkok, on the 27th floor when the earthquake struck.

"No one knew what was happening," he told the Herald, noting he had felt worse earthquakes in NZ but was worried because of the building standards in Thailand.

"Some friends in other parts of Bangkok thought they were on a roller coaster," he said.

He said it "felt like a decent shake".

"No one expects earthquakes here in Thailand."

10:04 am

Quake death toll could surpass 10,000

Modelling by the United States Geological Survey roughly estimates that the death toll is likely to surpass 1,000, and could be much higher.

A death toll of more than 10,000 is a strong possibility, given the proximity of populated areas and the vulnerability of nearby structures, the estimates suggest.

09:20 am

Earthquake 'devastating' for children in Myanmar - Unicef

A spokesperson from Unicef says the impact of today's earthquake will be "devastating" for children living in Myanmar.

Trevor Clarke, Unicef's emergency advisor for the region, told the BBC Myanmar is "one of the most difficult places on the planet for children".

Today's earthquake, he says, "only compounds their dire situation".

Clarke says it's tough to get access to immediate information on the ground in Myanmar, but the organisation will "see just how bad it is in the next few days".

In the meantime, Unicef is bringing supplies from overseas - including tents, trampolines, mats, and hygiene kits to meet what he has described as the "basic needs of children".

09:14 am

Medical aid struggles to get through

Medecins Sans Frontieres is working to mobilize teams to areas in Myanmar impacted by the 7.7 magnitude earthquake, but conditions are making travel and communication difficult, the humanitarian organization’s head of mission in the country said.

Federica Franco said in an audio message that the “situation is very complicated” for teams “because there are significant communication blackouts in some of the hardest-hit areas, and this is due to the ongoing conflict.”

Myanmar is already reeling from four years of civil war sparked by a bloody and economically destructive military coup, which has seen junta forces battle rebel groups across the country.

On top of communication blackouts, Franco said key roads have been damaged, including a highway that goes to Mandalay, the epicenter of the earthquake.

“We had a team on the road earlier today, but they had to come back. Some of the airports are also closed,” Franco said.

The mission head said the priority for MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, is to get an “emergency care team” to people who need it.

CNN

09:02 am

Baby born on street after quake evacuation

A baby was born on a street in Bangkok after a hospital was evacuated after yesterday earthquake, BBC reported.

The patient was lying on a stretcher as hospital staff surrounded her and delivered the baby.

Patients from both King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital and BNH Hospital were gathered in a park after the quake, some in stretchers and wheelchairs.

08:17am

08:14 am

Bodies rescued, people trapped

A rescue worker in the Naypyitaw area told the BBC they'd carried out two bodies from a goldsmith's shop, and a third person who was alive but in a critical condition.

Others told rescuers another 17 people were still trapped in the shop.

Meanwhile, rescuers went to a house where someone was trapped, but could not get them out, he said."We can only find people where we can hear them."

08:09 am

US will help - Trump

The US will help Myanmar, US President Donald Trump said.

"We're going to be helping", CNN reported Trump saying from the Oval Office."We've already spoken with the country."

The Trump administration recently cut about $52m in USAID funding to Myanmar, and international organisations say the devastation from the quake will be worsened by the loss of aid, CNN reported.

08:08 am

Hospital area 'mass casualty area'

Hundreds of injured people have been arriving at a major hospital in Myanmar’s military-built capital of Naypyidaw.

The area around the hospital was now a “mass casualty area” with patients being treated outside, a hospital official told French news agency AFP.

The hospital’s emergency department entrance had collapsed onto a car, AFP reported.

He'd never seen anything like it, one doctor said. “We are trying to handle the situation. I’m so exhausted now.”

08:03 am

Rescue workers check collapsed 33-storey Bangkok tower

In Bangkok, rescue workers are gathered at the base of the 33-storey, under-construction tower which collapsed during the earthquake, while several drones sweep over the huge pile of debris, BBC reporter Tessa Wong said.

"They seem to be checking how bad the damage is and searching for any signs of life.

"Sniffer dogs have just been brought in, while large diggers, drilling machines and tents have been set up further into the debris, all lit up by powerful floodlights, Wong said.

Ten people were killed in the Thai capital, with 16 injured and 101 more missing from three construction sites - including the collapsed high-rise, authorities said.

The collapsed tower was being built by the China Railway Construction Corporation for Thailand's government auditor general.

Cranes and diggers have also been brought in to help with the search for any survivors buried under a mountain of debris at least 10 storeys tall, BBC reporter Tessa Wong said.

Yesterday's deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake was the most powerful earthquake in Myanmar for more than a century, CNN reported

08:00 am

While the full extent of the catastrophe is yet to emerge, the leader of isolated Myanmar, in the grip of a civil war, issued a rare plea for international aid.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said 144 people had been killed, with 732 confirmed injured, but warned the toll was “likely to rise”.

Eight deaths have been confirmed so far in Thailand, with more expected.

“I would like to invite any country, any organisation, or anyone in Myanmar to come and help. Thank you,” he said in a televised speech, after visiting a hospital in the capital Naypyidaw.

He urged massive relief efforts after the disaster and said he had “opened all ways for foreign aid”.

US President Donald Trump said Washington would be offering assistance.

Four years of civil war sparked by the military seizing power have ravaged Myanmar’s infrastructure and healthcare system, leaving it ill-equipped to respond to such a disaster.

Power is down in parts of Myanmar’s biggest city Yangon, the local utility said.

The country declared a state of emergency across the six worst-affected regions after the quake.

Thai rescue workers arrive on the scene at a construction building collapse in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar. Photo / Getty Images

Hundreds of casualties arrived at a major hospital in Naypyidaw, where the emergency department entrance had collapsed on a car.

Medics treated the wounded outside the hospital, the same one visited by the junta chief. One official described it as a “mass casualty area”.

“I haven’t seen [something] like this before. We are trying to handle the situation. I’m so exhausted now,” a doctor told AFP.

Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, appeared to have been badly hit. AFP photos from the city showed multiple buildings in ruins.

A resident reached by phone told AFP that a hospital and a hotel had been destroyed, and said the city was badly lacking in rescue personnel.

The main road bridge linking Mandalay and Sagaing was down, the city’s university and historic palace wall have collapsed, and telecoms have been affected, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said.

Across the border in Thailand, a 30-storey skyscraper under construction collapsed into a tangled heap of rubble and dust in a matter of seconds.

Dramatic video from Bangkok showed a building under construction collapse after the city was rocked by an earthquake.

Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said eight bodies have been recovered and, with between 90 and 110 people unaccounted for, the toll is expected to rise.

“We see several dead bodies under the rubble. We will take time to bring the bodies out to avoid any further collapses,” he told reporters.

Myanmar Fire Services Department continues emergency search and rescue operations after an earthquake rocked Sagaing, central Myanmar. Photo / Myanmar Fire Services Department

“I heard people calling for help, saying ‘help me’,” Worapat Sukthai, deputy police chief of Bang Sue district, told AFP.

As night fell, around 100 rescue workers assembled at the scene to search for survivors, illuminated by specially erected floodlights.

Visiting the site, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said “every building” in Bangkok would need to be inspected for safety, though it was not immediately clear how that would be carried out.

People weep next to a collapsed building near Chatuchak Market in Bangkok. Photo / Getty Images

An emergency zone was declared in Bangkok, where some metro and light rail services were suspended.

The streets of the capital were full of commuters attempting to walk home, or simply taking refuge in the entrances of malls and office buildings.

City authorities said parks would stay open overnight for those unable to sleep at home.

Strong quakes are rare in Thailand, and across Bangkok and the northern tourist destination of Chiang Mai, stunned residents hurried outside, unsure of how to respond.

Rescue workers search for survivors of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo / Getty Images

The quake was felt across the region, with China, Cambodia, Bangladesh and India all reporting tremors.

India, France and the European Union offered to provide assistance, while the World Health Organisation said it was mobilising to prepare trauma injury supplies.

Pope Francis said he was “deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread devastation” in a telegram published by the Vatican.

New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters posted on social media he was “gravely concerned” at the earthquake.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected.”

He added New Zealanders requiring urgent consular assistance should contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s 24/7 helpline.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent his best to the countries impacted.

“Concerned by the situation in the wake of the earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand,” he wrote in a message on X.

“Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone. India stands ready to offer all possible assistance. In this regard, asked our authorities to be on standby.”

Bangkok-based BBC journalist Bui Thu told the BBC World Service that she was “very panicked” when the quake struck.

“I didn’t know what it was because it has been, I think, a decade since Bangkok had a really strong or powerful earthquake like this,” she said.

“In my apartment I just see some cracking on the walls and water splashed out of swimming pools and people just yelling.”

She said she feared the damage would be “big”.

“Buildings in Bangkok are not engineered for earthquakes, so I think that’s why I think there’s going to be big damage.”

Search and rescue operations of collapsed or damaged buildings in Thailand and Myanmar are now under way.

Already tricky communications into Myanmar are set to be further tested by the impact of the earthquake.

“Myanmar has been ruled by a military junta since a coup in 2021, making access to information difficult. The state controls almost all of local radio, television, print and online media,” the BBC reported.

“Internet use is also restricted.

“Communication lines also appear to be down as the BBC has been unable to get through to aid agencies on the ground.”

In the capital Naypyidaw, AFP journalists saw the entrance of the emergency department at the city’s main hospital pancaked on to a car.

Wounded at the 1000-bed facility were being treated outside, intravenous drips hanging from their gurneys. Some writhed in pain, others lay still as relatives sought to comfort them.

‘Strongest tremor I’ve experienced’

“I heard it and I was sleeping in the house, I ran as far as I could in my pyjamas out of the building,” Duangjai, a resident of tourist city Chiang Mai, told AFP after tremors were felt across northern and central Thailand.

Sai, a 76-year-old Chiang Mai resident, was working at a minimart when the shop started the shake.

“I quickly rushed out of the shop along with other customers,” he said.

“This is the strongest tremor I’ve experienced in my life.”

Video shared to social media showed a building under construction collapsing in a cloud of debris.

Another video showed water spilling from a rooftop pool.

Some metro and light rail services were suspended in Bangkok.

A CNN journalist in Bangkok reported frantic scenes in his apartment, with light fixtures swinging back and forth as residents rushed to evacuate the building.

Another resident in Thailand’s northern city of Chiang Mai, who also did not want to be named, said: “I felt it for about 10 seconds in my room then I figured out I couldn’t stay inside. So I rushed out on to the street.”

‘Very sudden and very strong’

AFP journalists in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, said roads were buckled by the force of the tremors and chunks of ceilings fell from buildings.

A resident in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, who did not want to be named, told CNN: “We felt the quake for about one minute and then we ran out of the building.

“We saw other people running out of the buildings too. It was very sudden and very strong.”

Video from Myanmar also showed the collapse of the Ava Bridge between Ava and Sagaing.

Witnesses said parts of the historic Mandalay Palace in Mandalay were severely damaged in the quake, the Myanmar Now news website reported.

Three residents of Mandalay, one of Myanmar’s largest cities, told Reuters they saw multiple buildings collapsing as scores ran out on to the streets when the quake hit.

A witness told Reuters they had witnessed a multi-level building “collapse in front of my eyes”.

Another local told Reuters “the situation is very bad”.

Journalists based in Myanmar have reported roads in some areas crumbled amid the force of the earthquake.

Residents of China’s southwest Yunnan province also felt the temblor.

The China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC) said the jolt measured magnitude 7.9, according to the Xinhua news agency, with a social media post by CENC saying “tremors were felt in Yunnan”.

Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar.

A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake in the ancient capital Bagan in central Myanmar killed three people in 2016, also toppling spires and crumbling temple walls at the tourist destination.