### Quick Summary
– On March 28,2025,a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar.
– The earthquake caused widespread devastation: streets buckled, pagodas crumbled, bridges shattered, adn houses collapsed.
– The energy released was equivalent to several hundred nuclear explosions and resulted in extensive damage across Southeast Asia.- Neighboring Thailand suffered structural impacts; a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok completely disintegrated.
– preliminary casualty estimates indicate thousands to tens of thousands of fatalities and economic losses in the tens of billions of dollars.- Poorly constructed buildings without earthquake-resistant measures amplified the destruction’s severity; myanmar’s inadequate building codes played a significant role.
– The Sagaing Fault-a major “strike-slip” fault that runs along the boundary of India’s tectonic plate-was responsible for the quake. this fault has produced many destructive earthquakes historically.
– myanmar’s recovery efforts face challenges due to ongoing political instability from its civil war and military coup since 2021.
Why Was the Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand So Devastating?
A resident carries belongings over debris next to a damaged building in Naypyidaw on March 28, 2025. Sai Aung MAIN/AFP via Getty Images Cars pass by a damaged road near Naypyidaw after myanmar’s central earthquake. Sai Aung Main/AFP via Getty Images