Myanmar is facing devastation after a powerful earthquake struck the country on Friday, 28 March.
The magnitude-7.7 quake was also felt in Thailand and south-west China.
The military government of Myanmar reported over 1,700 deaths and more than 3,400 injuries. In Thailand, at least 18 people lost their lives.
Here is what we currently know.
Where did the earthquake hit?
The earthquake’s epicenter was 16km (10 miles) north-west of Sagaing in Myanmar, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
This area is close to Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city with a population of around 1.5 million people, and about 100km (60 miles) north of the capital, Nay Pyi Taw.
The initial earthquake struck at 12:50 (06:20 GMT) with a second quake occurring 12 minutes later, measuring 6.4 in magnitude. Its epicenter was 18km (11 miles) south of Sagaing.
Aftershocks have been ongoing, with the most recent on Sunday being a magnitude-5.1 tremor north-west of Mandalay, described by a resident as the strongest since 28 March.
Which areas were impacted?
[BBC]
The earthquake caused roads to buckle, bridges to be damaged, and many buildings to collapse in Myanmar, a country with a population of approximately 55 million.
It is known to be one of the most geologically active regions in the world.
The ruling junta reported that 1,591 houses were damaged in the Mandalay region, with many people still trapped and rescuers working tirelessly to save them.
Strong tremors were also felt in other areas, including Thailand and south-west China.
Despite being over 1,000km (621 miles) from the epicenter, Bangkok experienced the effects of the earthquake, with an unfinished high-rise building collapsing and rooftop pools overflowing in the swaying buildings.
How severe was the impact?
The confirmed death toll currently stands at 1,700, with many of the fatalities occurring in Mandalay.
More than 3,400 people were injured, and 300 individuals are still missing.
Estimates from the US Geological Survey suggest that Myanmar’s death toll could surpass 10,000, with economic losses exceeding the annual output.
Rescue operations are ongoing, with teams in Mandalay using all available resources to rescue those trapped.
In Bangkok, 18 people have been confirmed dead, with 78 individuals still missing from the collapsed high-rise building.
How challenging is it to obtain information from Myanmar?
Accessing information from Myanmar is a challenge.
The country has been under military rule since a coup in 2021, making it difficult to gather information.
The state controls the majority of local media outlets, including radio, television, print, and online platforms. Internet access is also restricted.
Communication lines in affected areas are unreliable, and many residents lack electricity, hindering efforts to reach them.
Foreign journalists are rarely permitted to enter the country officially.
What aid is being sent to Myanmar?
International aid, primarily from China and India, has started to arrive following a rare appeal from the military authorities.
Assistance has also been provided by Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Russia.
Rescue teams from various countries are assisting local efforts to locate and rescue survivors.
The Red Cross has issued an urgent appeal for $100m (£77m) to support relief efforts.
How is the conflict affecting relief operations?
The NUG has announced a temporary halt to “offensive military operations” by its armed wing, the People’s Defence Force (PDF), in earthquake-affected areas, except for defensive actions.
Anti-coup PDF battalions have been engaged in combat with the military junta since the coup in 2021.
The impact of this pause, beginning on Sunday, remains uncertain as many ethnic armed groups operate independently from the NUG.
Meanwhile, the junta continues to carry out airstrikes in certain areas, with the UN condemning these actions as “completely outrageous and unacceptable.”
What causes earthquakes?
Earthquakes occur when the Earth’s crust, made up of separate plates, shifts suddenly due to built-up pressure.
These plates, which rest alongside each other, experience friction that prevents movement until the pressure is released, causing seismic activity.
The severity of an earthquake is measured using the Moment Magnitude Scale (Mw), replacing the outdated Richter scale for more accuracy.
The assigned number to an earthquake reflects the distance the fault line moved and the force behind the movement.
Quakes below 2.5 are usually undetectable, while those up to magnitude five are felt and may cause minor damage.
El terremoto de Myanmar de 7.7 se clasifica como importante y generalmente causa graves daños, como ha sido el caso en esta instancia. Cualquier cosa por encima de 8.0 causa daños catastróficos y puede destruir por completo comunidades en su centro. El Reino Unido ha advertido sobre la posibilidad de varios fuertes réplicas en lugares afectados por el terremoto. Ha aconsejado a las personas en la zona, o a los turistas que planean viajar a Myanmar, Tailandia o Laos, que monitoreen los medios locales y sigan el consejo de las autoridades locales y los operadores turísticos. El Reino Unido también ha emitido previamente consejos contra viajar a partes de Myanmar y viajes solo esenciales a partes de Tailandia y Laos. La situación de seguridad en Myanmar “puede deteriorarse en cualquier momento y el régimen militar puede imponer restricciones de viaje en cualquier momento” en medio de un conflicto “cada vez más volátil”, dijo. La advertencia de Reino Unido para partes de Tailandia se debe a “ataques regulares en las provincias en la frontera con Malasia” y su consejo para Laos se relaciona con “ataques intermitentes a la infraestructura y enfrentamientos armados con grupos antigubernamentales” en la provincia de Xaisomboun. Este terremoto y sus réplicas fueron relativamente superficiales, a unos 10 km de profundidad. Eso significa que el impacto en la superficie probablemente haya sido más devastador que un terremoto más profundo, con edificios sacudidos mucho más fuerte y más propensos a colapsar. El 26 de diciembre de 2004, uno de los terremotos más grandes jamás registrados golpeó frente a la costa de Indonesia, desencadenando un tsunami que arrasó comunidades enteras alrededor del Océano Índico. Ese terremoto de magnitud 9.1 mató a unas 228,000 personas. El terremoto más grande registrado fue de 9.5 y se registró en Chile en 1960.