New Delhi, March 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed deep sorrow over the catastrophic earthquake in Myanmar, which has resulted in the loss of over 1,000 lives.

In a post on X, PM Modi posted, “Spoke with Senior General H.E. Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar. Conveyed our deep condolences at the loss of lives in the devastating earthquake.”

Under its Act East policy, India has launched ‘Operation Brahma’ to provide urgent relief to Myanmar. On Saturday, more than 15 tonnes of essential aid were dispatched following a series of powerful tremors that wreaked havoc on Friday.

Highlighting India’s unwavering commitment to assisting its neighbours in times of crisis, PM Modi further added, “As a close friend and neighbour, India stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar in this difficult hour. Disaster relief material, humanitarian assistance, search and rescue teams are being expeditiously dispatched to the affected areas as part of Operation Brahma.”

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced the initiation of Operation Brahma, confirming that the first tranche of humanitarian aid had reached Yangon Airport on Saturday morning.

“Operation Brahma gets underway. First tranche of humanitarian aid from India has reached the Yangon Airport in Myanmar,” the EAM posted on X.

The Ministry of External Affairs emphasised India’s role as a first responder, stating that the relief consignment included tents, blankets, sleeping bags, food packets, hygiene kits, generators, and crucial medicines.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) transported the relief material aboard a C-130J aircraft from Air Force Station Hindon. The package comprises ready-to-eat meals, water purifiers, solar lamps, generator sets, and vital medical supplies such as paracetamol, antibiotics, syringes, gloves, and bandages.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Bangkok is closely monitoring developments in neighbouring Thailand, where tremors were also recorded. Officials confirmed that there have been no reports of any Indian citizens being affected.

The Embassy advised Indian nationals in Thailand to contact emergency services if needed, assuring that all Embassy staff in Bangkok and the Consulate in Chiang Mai are safe.

Mandalay, March 29: At least 1,002 were killed, 2,376 were injured, and 30 remained missing in the earthquake that rattled Myanmar, according to the Information Team of Myanmar’s State Administration Council on Saturday.

Rescue efforts have intensified in Myanmar despite severe disruptions to transportation and communication networks following a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Friday afternoon.

The quake, which originated near Sagaing, triggered 12 aftershocks ranging from 2.8 to 7.5 in magnitude, further worsening conditions in the affected areas.

The devastation has been widespread, with Mandalay, Bago, Magway, northeastern Shan State, Sagaing, and Nay Pyi Taw among the hardest-hit regions, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Myanmar government has declared a national emergency as emergency responders work tirelessly to assist those in need.

A critical transport link, the Yangon-Mandalay highway, suffered severe damage near Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay, making relief operations challenging.

People have resorted to using the older Yangon-Mandalay road to arrive at the quake-hit areas and facilitate rescue efforts. Additionally, the collapse of buildings in Mandalay Airport and sections of the highway has further disrupted travel between Yangon and Mandalay, Myanmar’s two largest cities.

Rescue teams, including fire service personnel from lower Myanmar, have arrived at the severely affected areas like Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay. However, damaged infrastructure, power outages, and disruptions to phone and internet services have complicated relief efforts.

International assistance has begun arriving. A Chinese rescue team landed in Yangon on Saturday morning to support Myanmar’s emergency response and provide aid to affected communities.

As authorities and rescue teams work around the clock to assist those impacted by the disaster, Myanmar faces the daunting task of recovering from one of its most powerful earthquakes in recent history.

With critical infrastructure damaged and essential services disrupted, coordinated relief efforts are urgently needed to help survivors rebuild their lives.

Myanmar leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has called for humanitarian assistance from both local and international communities. On Saturday morning, Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Mandalay to facilitate the rescue operations.

Naypyidaw (Myanmar), March 29: An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 on the Richter Scale hit Myanmar on Friday at 11:56 pm (local time), according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS).

In a post on X, the National Center for Seismology wrote, “Earthquake of magnitude: 4.2, On: March 28, 2025, 23:56:29 IST, Latitude: 22.15 N, Longitude: 95.41 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Myanmar.”

As per the NCS, the latest earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 km, making it susceptible to aftershocks.

The NCS reported the earthquake was recorded at Latitude 22.15 N and Longitude 95.41 E.

Earlier on Friday, Myanmar was jolted by a series of tremors, including a major earthquake of magnitude 7.2 on the Richter Scale that occurred at 11:50 am (local time).

The powerful tremor was felt in Bangkok and several parts of Thailand, with eyewitness reports and local media accounts noting that hundreds of people rushed out of swaying buildings in Bangkok.

Several posts on social media showed water splashing out of swimming pools due to the quake’s intensity.

According to the NCS, the 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km and was recorded at Latitude 21.93 N and Longitude 96.07 E.

In a post on X, NCS said, “Earthquake of Magnitude: 7.2, On: March 28, 2025, 11:50:52 IST, Latitude: 21.93 N, Longitude: 96.07 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Myanmar.”

The earthquake at around 11:50 a.m. IST was followed by an aftershock of 6.4-magnitude minutes later.

The NCS said that an earthquake of magnitude 4.9 on the Richter scale hit Myanmar, saying that it was the third aftershock, following the first 7.2 magnitude on the Richter scale.

Video obtained by CNN from Myanmar appeared to show a road bridge spanning the Irrawaddy River, which runs through Mandalay, collapsing into the river in a cloud of dust and water.

Shallow earthquakes like this one are more dangerous than deeper ones due to their greater energy release closer to the Earth’s surface, causing stronger ground shaking and increased damage to structures and casualties, compared to deeper earthquakes which lose energy as they travel to the surface.

Although Myanmar is an earthquake-prone country, there has not been proposed an official national seismic hazard map.

Due to the collision between the Eurasian and Indo-Australian plates, Myanmar is an area with a high seismic hazard level.

According to the earthquake parameters summarised by the International Seismological Centre around 140 events with magnitude greater than or equal to 3.0 have taken place in Myanmar and its vicinity every year from 1990 to 2019. Thus, it is evident that Myanmar is vulnerable to hazards from moderate and large magnitude earthquakes, including tsunami hazards along its long coastline.