A strong MW 7.7 earthquake occurred at 10 km depth near Mandalay Myanmar (Burma) in the early afternoon of 28 March 2025. Mandalay is Myanmar’s second-largest city, with more than 1.5 million residents.
The event was caused by strike-slip faulting and ruptured for 400 km from Mandalay in the North to Pyu in the South.
The earthquake occurred in a section of the Sagaing Fault, which runs North to South for 1,400 km through the Myanmar Central Basin. The fault is active and has been associated with many damaging earthquakes over recorded history. The 28 March 2025 event is the largest since May 1912, when a MW 7.9 earthquake occurred on the same fault.
While the epicenter was near Mandalay, extensive damage has occurred along the length of the rupture, with hundreds of buildings collapsed and widespread damage to roads and other infrastructure
The north-to-south direction of the rupture, combined with soft soils, propagated energy from the end of the rupture some 700 km into neighboring Thailand, where a skyscraper under construction collapsed in Bangkok. Minor damage was also reported in Mainland China.
At the time of writing, more than 2,000 fatalities have been reported in Myanmar and 19 in Thailand. Two people were reported injured in Mainland China.
Many countries in the region, including Mainland China, Vietnam, India, Singapore and Thailand, have sent specialist teams to Myanmar to help with rescue efforts and many more have pledged aid funding.
