Massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocks Myanmar; more than a hundred killed

More than 100 people were killed when a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand on Friday.

Trump says U.S. will help

Update 2:20 p.m. ET March 28: President Donald Trump, during an afternoon press briefing, said that the U.S. will help Myanmar.

“We’re going to be helping. I’ve already alerted the people,” he said. “It’s terrible what’s happened. We’ve already spoken with the country.”

The administration had cut about $52 million in USAID funding, according to think tank Center for Global Development.

The U.S. embassy in Myanmar said it was pausing “non-emergency consular services, including visa services, while continuing American Citizen Services” in an effort to help Americans in the country.

Death toll rises in Thailand

Update 12:44 p.m. ET March 28: The death toll has risen to eight in Bangkok, Thailand, with another 110 people trapped in the rubble.

The death toll could rise.

“There is still a possibility of finding more bodies, as some are trapped under the building’s structure,” Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said. “Special techniques are needed to safely remove these bodies to prevent further collapses caused by shifting structural elements.”

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has activated its logistics team to get medical supplies to Myanmar.

Junta leader asks for international help

Update 11:33 a.m. ET March 28: The head of the military government, also called a junta, has made the rare request for international assistance as the country reels from the deadly earthquake.

“I have personally visited some affected sites to assess the situation. I would like to call upon everyone to join hands and support the ongoing rescue missions,” Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said.

“I have declared a state of emergency and requested international assistance,” he said, adding, “I would like to extend an open invitation to any organizations and nations willing to come and help the people in need within our country.”

 India has already pledged to help as casualties are expected to continue to rise.

144 dead, 730 injured in Myanmar

Update 10:41 a.m. ET March 28: The head of the military government in Myanmar said that 144 dead and 730 were injured in the worst earthquake to hit the country since 1946.

The quake hit along the Sagaing Fault. It was a strike-slip fault that triggered the quake.

Storm Center 7 Meteorologist Britley Ritz explains that a strike-slip fault is when fractures of the Earth's crust surface shift or move horizontally to the fault line.

Death toll rises

Update 8:19 a.m. ET March 28: At least 20 people were killed by the earthquake in Myanmar and three were killed in Thailand. Seventy are still missing in Bangkok and 20 people were trapped in an elevator shaft.

People in Thailand are starting to go back indoors as the government said the situation is “starting to ease.” An emergency zone has been set up in Bangkok.

In Myanmar, information is limited because the military government that controls the country censors its internet and its press.

“Compare the coverage of the earthquake in Thailand, where tremors and damage have been extensively reported, posted and documented, to Myanmar, where we still don’t have a clear picture of the extent of the damage and loss and may not for some time,” Amnesty International researcher Joe Freeman said.

The information blackout may hamper aid getting where it is needed, but Myanmar military spokesman Gen. Zaw Min Tun said, “we need and want the international community to provide humanitarian aid,” adding, “We will cooperate with them to ensure the best care for the victims.”

Original report: The three people killed were in Bangkok, where dozens of other people were buried in a high-rise building that was under construction, collapsed.

The quake’s epicenter was near Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar. An aftershock measured 6.4 magnitude.

The Myanmar government declared a state of emergency in six areas, but because of a civil war in the country, it is unknown if help would be able to get to areas that were impacted by the quake.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said there is “significant damage” in the country.

“We are gathering information about the people impacted, infrastructure damage, and immediate humanitarian needs to guide a response and will share more updates as information becomes available,” OCHA Humanitarian Affairs Officer, Christina Powell said.

Seismologist James Jackson said the quake was like a “great knife cut into the Earth” and that it shook the ground for “a full minute.”

Check back for more on this developing story.

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