Summary

Media caption,

'Nothing is left' - Myanmar resident reels from earthquake

  1. Thai officials says hospitals now running at full capacitypublished at 14:34 British Summer Time 30 March

    Back to Thailand, we've got the latest updates from officials at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, as well as the Earthquake Incident Command Centre.

    Search efforts are still under way at the site of a collapsed skyscraper, and the department says work there will now “intensify” around the clock.

    Seventy-six people are still missing at the site. Eleven have been confirmed dead there, with another seven deaths reported elsewhere in Thailand.

    Building inspections are continuing across the Bangkok metropolitan area, and traffic is said to be “gradually improving”.

    Officials also said that business operations and services, including hospitals, are now running at full capacity. Some schools, though, may still be closed at the start of the working week while final inspections take place.

    Inside the earthquake command centre at Bangkok Metropolitan AdministrationImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A sign reads "We are OK!" at the earthquake command centre

  2. Watch: Woman pulled alive from debris in Myanmarpublished at 14:21 British Summer Time 30 March

    Search efforts are still under way, 55 hours after a deadly earthquake hit Myanmar.

    Here we're seeing a video showing rescuers pulling a woman out alive from the rubble.

    Media caption,

    Myanmar earthquake: Woman pulled alive from debris

  3. Twenty people rescued in northern Shan state, say Myanmar officialspublished at 14:06 British Summer Time 30 March

    We've just had an update from Myanmar's fire services department, saying 20 people have been rescued in Shan state, which borders the badly affected regions of Mandalay and Sagaing.

    Officials say nine bodies have also been recovered in the northern state, and search and rescue efforts are still under way.

  4. In pictures: International rescue teams at work in Myanmarpublished at 13:51 British Summer Time 30 March

    As we've just reported, countries around the world have sent teams to Myanmar to help with search and rescue operations.

    Here are a few pictures showing some of those teams on the ground in the quake-hit country.

    Two men wearing blue overalls with Chinese characters on the back, wearing white hard hats and holding a small mobile screenImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Chinese rescue workers use equipment to assist with search efforts near a temple in Mandalay

    Large group of rescue workers standing near the nose of a plane with Russian writing. The plane's door is open and some workers are disembarking the plane. The workers wear t-shirts with the words EMERCOM of Russia on the backs.Image source, Russian Emergencies Ministry
    Image caption,

    A plane carrying Russian rescue workers lands in Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw

    In the centre of the image is a man wearing army fatigues and a red shirt has backpacks on the front and the back and carries two large black cases. There's a man holding a video camera, another man filming with a phone camera, and several uniformed people.Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    The US has also sent a team of rescue workers to help the quake-hit country

  5. What's the latest?published at 13:34 British Summer Time 30 March

    Matt Spivey
    Live editor

    It's been 55 hours since a deadly earthquake struck Myanmar, with tremors felt in neighbouring countries, resulting in the deaths of about 1,700 people.

    On Sunday, another quake hit Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, as rescue teams in Thailand picked up signs of life under collapsed buildings.

    International aid is pouring in thick and fast. China, India and Hong Kong have sent rescue teams to Myanmar to support efforts to find survivors.

    There have been glimmers of hope within the search efforts. In Mandalay, the local fire authority says 29 people have been pulled from the rubble of a high-rise block. On Saturday, a 30-year-old woman was rescued after being trapped for about 30 hours.

    In Bangkok, at the site of a collapsed skyscraper, the BBC has spoken to families waiting desperately for news.

    Kannika is one of them. Her husband is missing. She says she’ll wait “for as long as it takes”, but finds it hard to explain to her son why his dad hasn’t called.

    Our colleagues across the region are constantly sharing updates. Stay with us for the latest.

    Heavy machinery operate at the site of a building that collapsedImage source, Reuters
  6. Rescue teams from around the world head to Myanmarpublished at 13:11 British Summer Time 30 March

    Since the earthquake, several countries have sent search and rescue teams to Myanmar to help. Here's a look at some of them:

    • China sent an 82-person rescue team to Myanmar on Saturday, along with another team to the commercial hub Yangon
    • A 51-person team from Hong Kong, including search and rescue dogs, specialist equipment and life detectors, arrived on Sunday
    • An Indian aid flight has landed in Myanmar carrying a search and rescue team, along with hygiene kits, blankets and food parcels
    • Malaysia's foreign ministry said it would send a 50-person team to Myanmar "to support ongoing humanitarian and disaster relief operations"
    • Other countries that have sent rescue teams include the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Ireland, and South Korea.
    People look at the collapsed Maha Myat Muni Pagoda following an earthquake in Mandalay, MyanmarImage source, EPA
  7. Get in touchpublished at 13:02 British Summer Time 30 March

    Have you been affected by the earthquake in Myanmar? Did you feel the tremors in Thailand or China?

    If it's safe to do so, please get in touch with us in the following ways:

  8. 'I’m still hoping they find them alive'published at 12:55 British Summer Time 30 March

    Shaimaa Khalil
    Reporting from Bangkok

    Pranit Rampuey

    Two of Pranit Rampuey’s colleagues are still missing under the rubble. I saw her sitting at the edge of the fenced area across from the collapse site.

    She tells me she and her colleagues normally work on a different site, but they split up that day and her colleagues came here on the day of the earthquake to fill some team gaps.

    “They were like family” she tells me, sobbing.

    “I feel guilty”, she adds, explaining they came to the now collapsed site and she didn’t.

    Her two colleagues were related – an uncle and his nephew. “He was a good boy.” She tells me of the young man. He was 27.

    “I’ve been here all day and I’ve heard nothing so far. I’m still hoping they find them alive,” she says.

  9. 'As long as it takes': Thai woman waits for missing husbandpublished at 12:38 British Summer Time 30 March

    Nick Marsh
    Reporting from Bangkok

    Kannika in a white t-shirt and surgical mask over her mouth. She is holding a phone with a picture of men wearing hard hats visible.

    Kannika has been waiting here, patiently, since the early hours of Saturday morning.

    Her husband, Yothin, was working as the chief electrician on the 24th floor of the unfinished tower when it collapsed. She and Yothin - who are both in their mid-30s - are from a village in northern Thailand.

    Yothin came to Bangkok to work on the construction site and send the money back to his family. Kannika has travelled more than 300km in the aftermath of the earthquake to wait for news about her missing husband.

    He's one of thousands of workers in Thailand who migrate to the capital to try to build a better future for their family.

    "I will stay here for as long as it takes," she tells us, wiping tears from her eyes. Their two children, aged five and 12, are being looked after by her sister back home.

    Her youngest child keeps asking: "Why hasn't dad called, why hasn't dad called?"

    "He is a very good man and a very good father. We have been together many years. I pray that they find him safe."

  10. Death toll in Bangkok goes up to 18published at 12:28 British Summer Time 30 March
    Breaking

    The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has given an update on the number of people killed in Thailand after the earthquake.

    City officials say 18 people are confirmed dead, with 11 killed as a result of the collapsed skyscraper – 10 at the scene and one who died after being taken to hospital.

    Thirty-three people are known to have been injured, and authorities say 78 are still missing.

  11. Rescuers have picked up signs of life, but signals are weak - Thailand's deputy PMpublished at 12:20 British Summer Time 30 March

    Our colleagues have just finished translating comments from the news conference with Thailand's deputy prime minister.

    Anutin Charnirakul says rescue teams have been using scanners to detect signs of life under the rubble, but the signals they've picked up are weak.

    "Maybe they don't have energy to move their bodies or they take a light breath," he says.

    He adds that searching for survivors has been tough because of large objects that can't be moved, but engineers are assessing the situation and rescuers are working on solutions.

    Since the earthquake, there have been concerns about building safety rules in Bangkok. Charnirakul says there are thousands of buildings in the capital and most are "fine" after the quake.

    "We cannot use this building as [an] example and think that we have no standard," he comments.

  12. Thailand deputy leader orders investigation into high-rise collapsepublished at 11:58 British Summer Time 30 March

    Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister, wearing a hard hat, surrounded by reporters during a press conference with trucks in the background

    Thailand’s deputy prime minister has just spoken to the media at the site of the collapsed high-rise in Bangkok.

    Asked why the skyscraper – which was still under construction – came down, Anutin Charnvirakul says: “Something might have gone wrong.”

    “I’ve just appointed the investigation committee to search for the reasons why it collapsed. They will report back within seven days,” he says.

    He adds the investigation will look into the “designer, project controller and the builder”, saying “we will definitely find the true reasons as to why this building has collapsed”.

    That was from the English part of Charnvirakul's news conference – most of it was in Thai. Our colleagues are translating the rest now and we’ll bring you those details shortly.

  13. 'Anomalies' in steel at collapsed Bangkok high-rise, says Thai ministerpublished at 11:51 British Summer Time 30 March

    Tessa Wong
    Reporting from Bangkok

    Thai industry minister Akanat Promphan

    Now let's move our focus from Myanmar back to Thailand, where the earthquake has had a devastating impact.

    The country's industry minister Akanat Promphan has addressed the media at the site of the Bangkok building collapse.

    He says they found "anomalies" in the steel at the site and they have collected samples for testing.

    His comments may be the closest we have heard so far from government officials regarding the possible reasons why the building could not withstand the quake.

    While he did not explicitly say that these anomalies could be the reason, he did say that if the results of their investigation show that the steel used did not meet industry standards, his ministry will take legal action against those involved in the construction.

    The building was constructed by a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development and the Thai branch of China Railway Number 10 Engineering, according to local media reports.

    A rescuer works at the site of a building that collapsed, following a strong earthquake, in BangkokImage source, Reuters
  14. What's the military junta? What you need to know about Myanmarpublished at 11:41 British Summer Time 30 March

    A map of Myanmar, which borders India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand

    As we mentioned, the military junta has reportedly launched air strikes just after Friday’s earthquake. But who are they?

    Here’s a quick explainer to help refresh your knowledge on Myanmar.

    Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, gained independence from Britain in 1948, but its history since then has been marked by unrest and conflict.

    Power: The military seized power in 2021, ten years after agreeing to hand over control to a civilian government. Since then, the junta has cracked down hard on dissent, executing democracy activists and jailing journalists.

    Capital: Nay Pyi Taw is its capital, while the largest city is Yangon, a commercial hub and former capital.

    Population: 57.2 million.

    Media: The 2021 coup "shattered the media landscape" and the junta, which "tolerates no alternative to its narrative", quickly banned critical outlets, according to Reporters Without Borders.

  15. Military junta launches air strikes less than an hour after earthquake - UN officialpublished at 11:36 British Summer Time 30 March

    A UN official has told the BBC World Service they've had reports that Myanmar's military junta launched air strikes less than an hour after Friday's earthquake.

    The military took control in a 2021 coup, and the country’s been in civil war ever since.

    James Rodehaver, who leads the Myanmar team at the UN human rights office, says the military "has long been the primary limiter of humanitarian aid and access" in the country.

    He says: "According to reports that we're receiving on the ground, in under an hour after the earthquake on Friday the military was launching air strikes.

    "That was its focus. It was launching air strikes against its own people, including in areas impacted by the earthquake.

    "Almost as if they wanted to target the people responding to the people trapped under the rubble."

    He says the attacks, while also asking for international aid, are "part of their bait-and-switch tactic... employed for years".

    Myanmar's military chief Min Aung HlaingImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Myanmar's military chief Min Aung Hlaing (C) arrives to meet earthquake survivors gathered in the compound of a hospital in Naypyidaw on 28 March

  16. Watch: Rescuers reach elderly woman trapped for 36 hourspublished at 11:29 British Summer Time 30 March

    An elderly woman has been pulled from the rubble after being trapped for more than 30 hours in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw.

    Footage shows her being carried on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance, surrounded by emergency workers.

    You can watch the clip below.

  17. Over 100 rescued as emergency efforts continue across Myanmarpublished at 11:19 British Summer Time 30 March

    Rescuers work at the site of a building that collapsed, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in MandalayImage source, Reuters

    Rescue teams in Myanmar are still searching for people trapped under collapsed buildings, including hotels, schools, mosques, monasteries and homes.

    According to updates from the country's fire services department, dozens of survivors have been found and many bodies recovered across several regions, including Mandalay and Sagaing, near the epicentre of Friday’s earthquake.

    In Sagaing City, 36 people have been rescued and 88 bodies recovered.

    Officials say 161 people have died in Mandalay due to collapsed buildings in the Pyaw Bwe township, south of the city. 13 monks have been pulled from the rubble of the U Hla Thein Temple, where 58 people have been rescued so far. Up to 200 monks are thought to be trapped inside.

    Also in Mandalay, as we mentioned earlier, 29 people have been rescued and nine bodies recovered from the well-known Sky Villa complex.

  18. In pictures: Rescue workers searching through the rubble in Mandalaypublished at 11:05 British Summer Time 30 March

    Back in Myanmar, rescue efforts are also continuing today in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city and the one closest to the epicentre.

    These pictures were taken in the city earlier today.

    A building leans heavily to one side, with the buildings on either side destroyed. Traffic goes past on the road in frontImage source, Reuters
    A rescue worker wearing a helmet carries a ladder and walks past a flattened building in MandalayImage source, EPA
    A large multi-storey building leans heavily to the side - it is badly damaged, with cracks and sections disjointedImage source, Reuters
    Rescue workers, wearing bright orange tops and helmets, stand and watch as a digger moves rubbleImage source, EPA
  19. Watch: Latest from the scene of the Bangkok tower collapsepublished at 10:47 British Summer Time 30 March

    More international aid is arriving in Myanmar, two days after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake devastated large parts of the country.

    Neighbouring Thailand is stepping up efforts to rescue people trapped in a collapsed building in the capital.

    From Bangkok, BBC correspondent Arunoday Mukharji brings us the latest from the scene.

  20. We can feel dust on our faces, we can taste itpublished at 10:36 British Summer Time 30 March

    Shaimaa Khalil
    Reporting from Bangkok

    A man looks on, away from the rubbleImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    A man looks on as rescuers work at the site of the collapsed building

    We’re being moved further away from the edge of the collapse site. Families who were perched on the fence have been told to move away.

    Heavy machinery is getting much closer to where we’re standing.

    We can feel the dust on our faces, we can taste it. We were told by an official that they are now intensifying their efforts.

    From our vantage point, you can see the scale of the damage - the rubble and all the entangled iron.

    The heavy machinery is moving around and it looks like they’re now digging around the debris.

    One official told us they are hoping they will pull out more bodies today.