Summary

  • Myanmar's military fired at a Chinese aid convoy that was bringing supplies to areas hit by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake, claiming it was not notified that the convoy would be passing through

  • The military leader, Min Aung Hlaing, earlier rejected calls by armed rebel groups for a ceasefire to allow aid into quake-hit areas

  • Three armed groups called for a temporary halt to the fighting, as the official death toll from Friday's quake climbed to 2,886, with hundreds of others missing

  • The military, however, has continued to bomb quake-hit areas, with Min Aung Hlaing saying they will "continue to take necessary security measures"

  • The UN says the earthquake has compounded "an already dire crisis" in Myanmar, which is in the midst of a civil war

  • The earthquake was felt hundreds of miles away in neighbouring countries like Thailand, where the death toll stands at 21

  • Rescuers in both countries are still searching for survivors, though hopes are fading as more bodies are pulled from the ruins of collapsed buildings

Media caption,

'We still have hope': Searching for quake survivors in Mandalay

  1. Thank you for joining uspublished at 11:55 British Summer Time 2 April

    We are pausing our live coverage now. Here's where things stand:

    The death toll in Myanmar has gone up to 2,886, according to the junta. This figure is still expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.

    At least 21 people have died in Thailand, where more than 70 people are trapped under the rubble of a high-rise building in Bangkok.

    BBC's Burmese service has reached Sagaing, the city closest to the earthquake's epicentre, where at least a third of its buildings have been destroyed.

    Rescue and relief efforts are ongoing, and survivors are still being found. However, hundreds remain missing.

    Myanmar's military fired at a Chinese Red Cross convoy bringing aid into quake-hit areas on Tuesday night. No injuries were reported, and the junta says it's investigating the incident.

    Thank you for joining us today. If you'd like to know more about the Myanmar earthquake and its aftermath, there are some other stories from across the BBC that you can read:

    Mandalay was the 'city of gold' - now it reeks of death

    Heartbroken parents call out children's names at earthquake-hit pre-school

    'People are screaming help me': Myanmar earthquake survivors describe horror

  2. In pictures: Mandalay reeling from devastationpublished at 11:48 British Summer Time 2 April

    It's six days since the devastating earthquake which hit Myanmar last week.

    Mandalay, once known as the city of gold, now lies in ruins.

    Three people on motorbikes ride alongside a rescue worker wearing a hard hat at the site of a collapsed concrete building
    Image caption,

    Rescuers are still looking through the rubble that the powerful earthquake has left behind

    View of a destroyed pagoda as people on bikes ride towards it
    Image caption,

    The destruction hits from every angle - from beautiful pagodas to blocks of flats

    Three tilting multi-floor buildings with a man on a bike riding close by
    Image caption,

    Even those buildings which did not fall now stand at dangerous angles

    A yellow bulldozer clearing debris on a road where there are trees and some buildings still standing
    Image caption,

    The challenge of clearing the concrete and tangled iron is overwhelming

    A gold-spired building in the middle of lush trees
    Image caption,

    There is some hope, however, that buildings which withstood the force of nature may be restored to their former glory

  3. The man mourning 170 loved ones lost in the quakepublished at 11:24 British Summer Time 2 April

    Zeyar Htun and Tessa Wong
    Reporting from Bangkok

    Soe Nay Oo was an imam in Myanmar but had been working for a human rights group in Thailand after fleeing the 2021 coupImage source, BBC/Neha Sharma
    Image caption,

    Soe Nay Oo was an imam in Myanmar but had been working for a human rights group in Thailand after fleeing the 2021 coup

    As the call to prayer rang out in Sagaing last Friday, hundreds of Muslims hurried to the five mosques in central Myanmar.

    They were eager to hold their last Friday prayers for Ramadan, just days away from the festive period of Eid that would mark the end of the holy month.

    Then, at 12:51 local time (06:21 GMT), a deadly earthquake struck. Three mosques collapsed, including the biggest one, Myoma, killing almost everyone inside.

    Hundreds of kilometres away, the former imam of Myoma mosque, Soe Nay Oo, felt the quake in the Thai border town of Mae Sot.

    In the following days, he found out that around 170 of his relatives, friends and members of his former congregation had died, mostly in the mosques. Some were leading figures in the city's close-knit Muslim community.

  4. Junta leader to attend summit in bangkokpublished at 10:57 British Summer Time 2 April

    Myanmar junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, is due to attend a summit in Thailand this week, Thai foreign ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura has told reporters at a news conference in Bangkok.

    The summit of leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Co-operation (Bimstec) is due to take place in Bangkok on 3 and 4 April.

    Bimstec comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

    As we've been reporting here, Myanmar's military fired at a Chinese aid convoy which was bringing supplies to areas hit by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake, saying it was not notified that the convoy would be passing through.

    Min Aung Hlaing has also rejected calls by armed rebel groups for a ceasefire to allow aid into quake-hit areas.

    Myanmar's junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the elected government in a coup, presides at an army parade on Armed Forces Day in Nay Pyi Taw 27 March 2021Image source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Hlaing has been authorising air strikes against rebels even as the country reels from the aftermath of the deadly earthquake

  5. 'We would not stay at a place where we see the ceiling'published at 10:27 British Summer Time 2 April

    Min Thu wearing a grey shirt, looking to the side. Behind him are tents set up by locals.Image source, BBC Burmese

    Min Thu, a food seller, told BBC Burmese at the Royal Palace in Mandalay that he and his family have been camping there alongside other locals for fear of returning home.

    "We do not have plans to go back even if our home is safe for move in. We would not stay at a place where we see the ceiling. We are afraid," he said.

    "We are living with fear. We cannot sleep well at night. Me and my family are waking up to any sounds."

    Min Thu said he lost friends in the rubble.

    "My home is damaged but thanks to God I am alive," he said. "I do not have enough courage to face what's yet to come. All of our lives are in the hand of God."

  6. Tourist haven Inle Lake devastated by earthquakepublished at 10:12 British Summer Time 2 April

    Nick Beake
    Reporting from Bangkok

    The area around Inle Lake, once a tourist paradise, is now a floating disaster zoneImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    The area around Inle Lake, once a tourist paradise, is now a floating disaster zone

    Inle Lake was once Myanmar’s aquatic tourist paradise - but video footage emerging from there shows how the earthquake has devastated the community.

    Bamboo homes that once perched above the water's surface have collapsed and the area is now a floating disaster zone, with locals saying at least 100 people have died.

    Austrian charity SONNE International has now reached the lake, and says the two worst affected villages are nearly completely wiped out with more than 1,000 homes destroyed.

    We made contact with Jochen Meissner, from the charity, who said he and others had been able to give some aid, but only the basics to survive, and there were no other big international aid agencies in the area.

    The picturesque refuge of Inle Lake once drew more than a hundred thousand foreign visitors every year - at least before the military coup in 2021.

    Civil war stole their livelihoods. The earthquake stole their lives.

  7. 'I don't have money to rebuild my house'published at 09:41 British Summer Time 2 April

    Phyo Su, wearing a white shirt, looks at the reporterImage source, BBC Burmese
    Image caption,

    Phyo Su, 35, is camping at the grounds of the Royal Palace with her two sons

    At the grounds of Mandalay's Royal Palace, many locals have been camping out, trying to find somewhere to sleep as aftershocks continue to rock the city.

    Among them are Phyo Su and her two sons. The 35-year-old narrowly escaped death when the quake hit on Friday.

    "Everybody ran to the ground," she told BBC Burmese. "The stairs were destroyed as I ran."

    Her house "leaned a bit" after the earthquake, but she has no money to rebuild it, she said.

    "They only let us go back home for a while to take our belongings and told us not to move back in," she said. "All of the residents moved here."

    "Mosquitoes are everywhere here, but people give us food and water, so it should be fine."

  8. How did Myanmar get here?published at 09:25 British Summer Time 2 April

    Yvette Tan
    BBC News

    After a prolonged civil war, a severe food crisis and an economy on the decline, Myanmar now finds itself devastated by a powerful earthquake.

    On Friday, the 7.7 magnitude quake hit the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar, and was followed by reports of destruction coming from nearby Mandalay - the country's second largest city - as well as the capital, Nay Pyi Taw, which is more than 150 miles (241km) away.

    Many aid groups have called this an unprecedented disaster for a country that has seen decades of unrest and military rule since its independence from Britain in 1948.

    It appeared to move away from this dark past in 2011, when it began to transition out of full military rule, and in 2015 held free elections which Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi won.

    Democratic hopes were dashed in 2021, however, when Aung San Suu Kyi and her government were overthrown by a coup led by military chief Min Aung Hlaing.

    The coup triggered huge protests, with thousands taking to the streets daily, demanding the restoration of civilian rule.

    Four years on, violent fighting between the military and armed resistance groups has left millions living in constant fear and insecurity.

    Food insecurity has reached "unprecedented levels", the UN's World Food Programme says, adding that rapid inflation has made food unaffordable for many.

  9. Here are some of the latest updatespublished at 09:07 British Summer Time 2 April

    If you're just joining us, here's the latest on the aftermath of the Myanmar earthquake:

    • The death toll from the quake, which struck Myanmar on Friday, is now at 2,886, according to the junta. There are 4,639 people injured and 373 missing.
    • Rebels fighting in Myanmar's civil war have unilaterally declared a ceasefire after the quake, but the junta says it will not be stopping its offensives.
    • Junta troops fired at a Chinese aid convoy in eastern Shan state on Tuesday night. No one was injured, the military said, adding that it was investigating the incident.
    • Rescue operations are still ongoing. In Mandalay, where the BBC Burmese team visited, people are holding out hope that their loved ones are still alive under the rubble.
  10. Myanmar earthquake death toll now at 2,886 - militarypublished at 08:45 British Summer Time 2 April

    The death toll from the earthquake in Myanmar is now at 2,886, the military says, while the number of people injured is 4,639. There are 373 people still missing.

    These are figures released by Myanmar's military government, which has played down the death toll in past natural disasters.

    The actual death toll from Friday's quake is believed to be much higher, as rescue and recovery efforts continue.

  11. Why is it so hard to find out what's happening in Myanmar?published at 08:18 British Summer Time 2 April

    A Buddhist monk walks past the damaged Mandalay Palace during sunset days after a powerful earthquakeImage source, Getty Images

    Getting information out of Myanmar is difficult.

    The country has been ruled by a military junta since a coup in 2021, complicating access to information.

    The state controls almost all local radio, television, print and online media. Internet use is also restricted.

    Mobile signal in the affected areas is patchy, and tens of thousands live without electricity, making it difficult for the BBC to reach people there.

    Foreign journalists are rarely allowed into the country officially.

    Despite these challenges, the BBC Burmese Service regularly covers the latest on Myanmar from Yangon, and a team has reached Mandalay - the city closest to where the quake struck - to bring updates on the aftermath.

  12. Mandalay was the 'city of gold' - now it reeks of deathpublished at 07:51 British Summer Time 2 April

    Kelly Ng
    Reporting from Singapore

    Buddhist monks clear up rubble at the damaged Thahtay Kyaung Monastery in MandalayImage source, Getty Images

    Mandalay used to be known as the city of gold, dotted by glittering pagodas and Buddhist burial mounds, but the air in Myanmar’s former royal capital now reeks of dead bodies.

    So many corpses have piled up since a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck last Friday close to Mandalay, that they have had to be "cremated in stacks", one resident says.

    The death toll from the quake and a series of aftershocks has climbed past 2,700, with 4,521 injured and hundreds still missing, Myanmar's military chief said. Those figures are expected to rise.

    Residents in the country's second most populous city say they have spent sleepless nights wandering the streets in despair as food and water supplies dwindle.

    Return to the latest post
  13. Myanmar junta fires at aid convoypublished at 07:35 British Summer Time 2 April
    Breaking

    We have just received news that Myanmar's military fired at a convoy that was bringing aid into quake-hit areas Tuesday night.

    The Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an armed rebel group, said military troops shot at a convoy of nine vehicles using heavy machine guns as it was passing through the Naung Cho township in the northern Shan state, en route to Mandalay.

    The TNLA said the convoy had informed the junta of its route and aid delivery plans. However the military said it was not notified that the convoy would be passing through, and that it opened fire because did not stop.

    No one was injured, the junta claims, adding that it is investigating the incident.

  14. Wreckage of houses and ancient pagodas in Sagaingpublished at 07:03 British Summer Time 2 April

    Htet Naing Zaw
    BBC Burmese, reporting from Sagaing

    We have just reached Sagaing, across the Irrawady river from Mandalay.

    Sagaing is just 25km from Mandalay, a journey that would ordinarily take about half an hour. But it has taken us three hours to get here.

    Friday’s massive earthquake damaged the two main bridges between Mandalay and Sagaing, rendering them impassable. So, we had to take a longer route through the Amarapura township.

    The bridge collapse has meant that little help and aid has reached Sagaing in the past few days. But this is changing.

    We encountered traffic en route to the city - much of it made up of rescue teams and local aid.

    As we drove by, we saw the collapsed Sagaing bridge on our left and wreckage of ancient pagodas on the right. This region is also home to many Buddhist temples, some hundreds of years old, including the U Min Thonze Pagoda, which is more than 900 years old. We’ve heard that many of these did not survive the quake.

    A rescue worker from Sagaing told us last Saturday that at least a third of all buildings there have been destroyed. As per a 2014 report, there are about 30,000 structures in the region. We can see that as we drive through the streets - three out of every five houses have collapsed.

    We have driven the length of the country through Naypyitaw, Kyaukse and Mandalay. Sagaing is the worst I’ve seen so far.

    Map showing Mandalay, Sagaing and Amarapura
  15. What have armed groups and the military said about a ceasefire?published at 06:49 British Summer Time 2 April

    Nick Marsh
    Reporting from Bangkok

    Rebels fighting in Myanmar's civil war unilaterally declared a ceasefire in an effort to support the humanitarian response to Friday's devastating earthquake.

    The death toll has now risen to 2,700 but in the past the military junta has played down the death toll in other disasters.

    But in state media, the country's ruling military junta said that it would not be stopping its offensives, both on land and from the air.

    Aid agencies say food, water, medicine and shelter are in very short supply in Myanmar and urged the international community to ramp up relief efforts before the monsoon season arrives next month.

    The UN has accused the junta of weaponising the aid that has arrived, by blocking it at checkpoints to areas held by rebel groups -- which could comprise up to three-quarters of the country.

    Foreign rescue help is being led by the regime's traditional allies Russia and China. A small aid team from the United States is yet to arrive.

  16. 'We still have hope', say relatives of missing in Mandalaypublished at 06:29 British Summer Time 2 April

    A team from the BBC Burmese Service visited the Sky Villa condominium in Mandalay yesterday. Built in 2017, the complex was a popular wedding venue and housed the largest rooftop bar in the city. Last week's earthquake reduced it from 12 to six storeys.

    The air reeked of dead bodies, but some people tell us they are still holding out hope that their loved ones trapped under the rubble are still alive.

    Media caption,

    Some people wait with hope outside the Sky Villa condominium complex crushed by the earthquake

  17. Civil war severely hinders earthquake reliefpublished at 06:09 British Summer Time 2 April

    the patchwork of civil conflicts has not helped with relief effortsImage source, Getty Images

    Even before the earthquake, Myanmar has been ravaged by a bloody civil war, a crippled economy and widespread disillusionment since the military took power in a coup in 2021.

    Friday's quake and its series of aftershocks adds to the suffering of the country's 50 million people, and the patchwork of civil conflicts has not helped with relief efforts.

    Aid workers have reported challenges getting aid through to the worst-hit areas, with some saying they have not been granted authorisation by the junta. Splintered control on the ground - with parts of the country controlled by junta forces, and others by armed rebel groups - also hinder efforts to move resources where they are most needed.

    Poor infrastructure adds another hurdle. Many hospitals in rebel-held areas have been bombed, while the quake has also buckled highways crucial for getting to areas stricken by the quake.

  18. In pictures: Rescue and relief efforts continuepublished at 05:55 British Summer Time 2 April

    On Tuesday Myanmar's military declared a national week of mourning, as the death toll from the quake neared 3,000. Search and rescue operations continue in Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand.

    Survivors are still being found - rescue workers pulled a 26-year-old man alive out of a collapsed hotel in Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw late on Tuesday. But hundreds of people remain missing and hopes of finding them alive are beginning to fade.

    Members of a Red Cross team working at  a collapsed residential building in MandalayImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Members of a Red Cross team working at a collapsed residential building in Mandalay

    Buddhist monks clean up debris at the damaged Thahtay Kyaung Monastery in MandalayImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Buddhist monks clean up debris at the damaged Thahtay Kyaung Monastery in Mandalay

    People sleep in a makeshift tent, secured between two morotcycles, along a street in MandalayImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    People sleep in a makeshift tent, secured between two morotcycles, along a street in Mandalay

    People shower and wash clothes by a riverImage source, EPA
    Image caption,

    People shower and wash clothes by a river

    In  Bangkok, rescue operations continue in the wreckage of a collapsed high-ride building where dozens are still trappedImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    In Bangkok, rescue operations continue in the wreckage of a collapsed high-ride building where dozens are still trapped

  19. UN rights monitor: Myanmar junta 'claiming' lives instead of saving thempublished at 05:20 British Summer Time 2 April

    Tom Andrews speaking while looking at the cameraImage source, Getty Images

    The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, says Myanmar's military leaders have not been prioritising the people in its earthquake response.

    He cites the junta's continuing air strikes against armed resistance groups that it has been fighting since 2021, when it seized power in coup.

    "One of the big problems is that there needs to be all hands on deck here, in this part of the world and particularly in Myanmar," Andrews tells the BBC.

    "But instead of focusing on saving lives, the junta has been claiming lives, taking lives."

    "The bombing raids have continued. I'm getting reports of blockages of humanitarian aid, trying to get into certain areas. There's reports of people being detained."

  20. Junta rejects ceasefire proposalspublished at 05:19 British Summer Time 2 April

    Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing meets survivors at a hospital in Nay Pyi TawImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing meets survivors at a hospital in Nay Pyi Taw

    Myanmar's military chief has rejected ceasefire proposals from rebel groups meant to facilitate rescue operations and aid delivery to quake-stricken areas.

    A shadow government formed by lawmakers removed in the 2021 military coup had announced a two-week ceasefire on Sunday, saying poor infrastructure and a patchwork of conflicts are severely hampering the relief effort.

    However junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has accused groups allied to the shadow government of exploiting the pause.

    “Some ethnic armed groups may not be actively engaging in battles right now, but they are gathering and training in preparation for attacks.

    "Since this is a form of aggression, the military will continue necessary defense operations,” he said during a fundraising event in the capital city Nay Pyi Taw on Tuesday.

    According to local media reports, the military has continued its offensives across the country in the past few days, including opening fire on villages in the quake-hit region.