An Indian aid flight has landed in Myanmar, a day after a powerful 7.7-magnitude caused widespread damage in the country.
Myanmar junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing issued an exceptionally rare appeal for international aid, indicating the severity of the calamity.
Previous military regimes in the country have shunned foreign assistance even after major natural disasters.
Indian Foreign Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar disclosed that a C-130 military transport plane had been dispatched carrying hygiene kits, blankets, food parcels and other essentials.
“A search and rescue team and medical team is also accompanying this flight. We will continue to monitor the developments and more aid will follow.”
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
This comes amid global aid effort for Myanmar quake relief.
China’s emergency management ministry announced that Beijing sent an 82-person team of rescuers to Myanmar today, Saturday, March 29, 2025.
A separate rescue team from China’s Yunnan also arrived in Myanmar’s commercial hub Yangon on Saturday.
The Chinese government will also provide Myanmar with 100 million yuan ($13.8m/£10.7m) in emergency humanitarian assistance, with shipments to begin Monday, March 31, 2025.
Also, South Korea’s foreign ministry said that it would send $2m in humanitarian assistance to support urgent rescue and relief efforts after the earthquake.
The ministry said in a statement that the Korean government hopes that the support will help save lives and alleviate suffering in the affected areas.
It added that it could send additional assistance if the situation worsened.
Additionally, Iran’s foreign ministry sent Tehran’s condolences to the people and governments of Myanmar and Thailand on Saturday and said it would be prepared to help with humanitarian efforts. “Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei … announced our country’s readiness to assist in the relief and rescue process,” it said.
Malaysia’s foreign ministry said it would also send a team to Myanmar. The deployment would consist of one commander and 49 rescue personnel “to support ongoing humanitarian and disaster relief operations.”
Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said the south-east Asian bloc, ASEAN, of which Myanmar and Thailand are members, “stands ready to assist” both countries.
US President Donald Trump on Friday vowed that Washington would assist Myanmar after it was hit by the quake.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the quake was “terrible.” He added, “It’s a real bad one, and we will be helping. We’ve already spoken with the country.”
Indonesian President, Prabowo Subianto, in an X post late Friday, sent condolences to Myanmar and Thailand, and offered to help.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of both countries during this difficult time. Indonesia stands ready to provide all necessary support for recovery efforts in the affected areas.”
Prabowo Subianto
Death Toll Crosses 1,000
Meanwhile, the death toll in Myanmar has reached more than 1,000, as rescuers dig through the rubble of collapsed buildings in a desperate search for survivors.
The ruling junta said in a statement on Saturday that 1,002 people had been confirmed dead and 2,376 injured, with most of the dead in Mandalay.
The statement suggested the numbers could still rise, saying “detailed figures are still being collected.”
A lot of people could be trapped inside the crushed remains of an apartment block in Mandalay in central Myanmar.
The Sky Villa Condominium development is among the buildings in Mandalay that were worst hit by Friday’s 7.7-magnitude quake.
According to a Red Cross official who spoke on condition of anonymity at the scene, said, that more than 90 people could be inside, adding, “We are still collecting data as people keep informing us they are looking for their missing family members.”
The official also disclosed that nine people are dead and forty-four “have been extracted alive.”
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