By Faith Barbara N Ruhinda updated at 15:12 EAT on Monday 31 March 2025

Early analysis of Friday’s earthquake that hit Myanmar and the surrounding region has revealed why the event has had such devastating effects hundreds of miles from the epicentre – in Bangkok.

Scientists who are currently examining data from a global network of seismic monitors say it appears that the rupture in the Earth’s crust that caused the earthquake grew faster than the waves of energy it created could physically move through the earth.

Seismologists, who have been sharing their early analyses online, say the length of the rupture was as much as 400km (248.5 miles) long.

In one post, Prof Frederik Tilmann from the Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, Germany, explains that a super-shear rupture like this “is the earthquake equivalent of a supersonic jet”, travelling at speeds of around 5km per second.

Because the fracture “unzipped” towards the south it also directed this piled up energy towards the Thai capital, Bangkok.

Super-shear earthquakes are relatively rare, but scientists studying them say understanding what causes them – and where they are most likely to happen – is vital to develop a more accurate picture of earthquake risk.

Nineteen people are known to have died in Thailand so far, with 12 killed when a high-rise builing in Bangkok that was under construction collapsed

Rescue operations at the construction site continue, but in the last past five hours, rescuers have been unable to detect “more vital signs” from those trapped in the rubble, Bangkok deputy governor Tavida Kamolvej says.

Rescuers detected one individual earlier today, she adds, but “unfortunately it’s the dead body, which you have already seen we carried that body out.”

Kamolvej says there is now a “lower chance for a survivor” to be found, as it has passed 72 hours since the construction site collapsed, but insists teams are not giving up and are working to speed up their efforts.

“The reason why there’s a lot of trucks coming in and out because we try to clear the mountains of the rubbles for the space,” Kamolvej says.

We’ve been bringing you a lot of updates this morning on the situation in Myanmar, but Friday’s earthquake has also had an impact in neighbouring Thailand.

The country’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra says search and rescue operations there continue, but the “situation has largely returned to normal”.

Writing in a post on Facebook, she also offers her “heartfelt” appreciation to leaders who reached out and sent support in the aftermath of the earthquake.

“We are deeply touched to all who have reached out and extended a helping hand, which reflects your solidarity and care,” she writes.

Shinawatra adds that the government is monitoring the current situation and is ready to provide further assistance if needed. She also extends her “thoughts and prayers” to Myanmar.

In Kyaukse – which is about 44km (27.3 miles) away from Mandalay, the epicentre of Friday’s massive earthquake – I’m standing at what used to be a preschool for children aged between two-and-a-half years to seven.

All that is left now is a pile of bricks with iron bars protruding out here and there.

Strewn amid the wreckage are childhood mementos. I see about 15 school bags of different colours – pink, blue, orange, and some shaped like Minions from the Despicable Me film franchise – torn apart with books spilling out of them.

Also visible are Spiderman toys, letters of the alphabet, sliders and other learning materials.

There were believed to be about 70 children at the school when the earthquake struck. The school says 13 of them have died, but locals believe the number to be at least 40 – that is how many were in the downstairs section of the school that collapsed entirely.

Many tell me they rushed to the school when the earthquake struck to try and help with rescue efforts. They say they have not been able to eat a thing since, with some describing scenes where bodies of children were retrieved and taken away in ambulances.

Some talk about how mothers came here and cried, calling out the names of their children, until the next day.

Rescue efforts continued until midnight on Friday night, but efforts stopped the following day.

There is no rescue work as I’m here. It’s all empty now.

Four people have been pulled alive from a collapsed building in Mandalay, Myanmar, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.

Those rescued included a pregnant woman and a child, who were found alive amidst the rubble of the Sky Villa apartment building.

According to the news agency, Yue Xin, head of the China Search and Rescue Team that reportedly pulled people from the rubble in Mandalay says: “It doesn’t matter how long we work. The most important thing is that we can bring hope to the local people”.

Myanmar’s neighbours, including China, India and Thailand, are among some of the countries to support rescue efforts.

At least three hospitals are completely out of service, while another 22 are “partially damaged and not really able to function”, she says.

And besides attending to the injured, aid workers also have to deal with what Harris describes as the “perfect conditions” for outbreaks of diseases like cholera.

Another challenge, she adds, is dealing with Myanmar’s ruling military junta, which has previously been accused of withholding international aid to certain regions.

“It has always been a struggle,” Harris says, “but again that is our work, to negotiate those things”.

Myanmar’s ruling military junta has declared a week of national mourning, saying more than 1,700 people are known to have died in the country.

Flags will fly at half-mast during the period, which will run until 6 April, the news agency AFP reports.

As a reminder, Myanmar’s leadership – with Min Aung Hlaing at the helm – rose to power in the country after a coup in February 2021.

The military junta has since carried out a violent crackdown on dissent, detaining civilian leader Aung Sung Kyi.

Because of the difficulty reporting from Myanmar, it is hard to verify the number of people who have died in the earthquake, but a US Geological Survey said on Friday that “a death toll over 10,000 is a strong possibility”.

Twelve people – eight men and four women – are now known to have died when a high-rise building in Bangkok that was under construction collapsed on Friday.

This brings the total number of deaths across Bangkok from the earthquake up to 19.

It’s believed there are still 75 missing workers trapped in the massive pile of rubble, and rescuers are continuing their search for survivors.

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