Burma Quake Deaths Toll Passes 1,600

The State Department said that cuts to USAID have had no impact on the U.S. ability to assist with disaster response.

A man carries construction equipment as people dig through the rubble of a damaged building looking for survivors in Mandalay on March 29, 2025 Sai Aung MAIN / AFP

The Burmese military junta said that as of March 29, the death toll of the Friday earthquake had risen to over 1,600.

Burma (also known as Myanmar) was hit by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on Friday, causing widespread destruction, particularly in Mandalay city, where numerous buildings collapsed.

The junta warned that the numbers could further increase as search and rescue operations continue. Burmese junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing has since invited “any country or organization” to provide assistance, according to local media.

Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, President Donald Trump on Friday said that his administration had spoken to the officials in Burma following the devastating earthquake.

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

Trump’s remarks came as a federal appeals court on Friday allowed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to continue to lead its downsizing efforts at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)—the agency responsible for administering U.S. foreign aid—after pausing a previous lower court’s injunction.

The administration’s cuts to USAID have already forced the United Nations and non-governmental organizations to cut many programs in Burma.

However, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters on Friday that the cuts to USAID have had no impact on the U.S. ability to assist with disaster response.

“USAID has maintained a team of disaster experts with the capacity to respond if disaster strikes,” she said. “These expert teams provide immediate assistance, including food and safe drinking water, needed to save lives in the aftermath of a disaster.”

Bruce said that the administration would use requests for assistance and reports from the region to shape its response to the quake.

The quake also affected neighboring Thailand, which has revised its initial 10 deaths to six on March 29. Thai authorities said 22 were injured, with 101 others still missing at construction sites in Bangkok.

The United States Geological Service’s (USGS) predictive modeling estimated the death toll could exceed 10,000 in Burma, and that losses could be greater than the country’s gross domestic product value.

People drive on a motorbike past a collapsed building in Mandalay, after an earthquake in central Burma, on March 28, 2025. STR/AFP via Getty Images

In Burma, the military government has declared a state of emergency in six regions and states, including Mandalay and the capital, Naypyidaw.

At least five cities and towns have reported building collapses and fallen bridges, including one on a key highway between Mandalay and Yangon, Burma’s state-run newspaper reported on Saturday.

The Burmese government’s spokesman, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, told state-run MRTV television channel on Friday that blood was in high demand in hospitals in Mandalay, Sagaing, and Naypyidaw.

Other Nations Providing Help

Other countries have stepped in to provide aid to Burma following the quake. Russia’s emergencies ministry dispatched two planes carrying 120 rescuers and supplies on Friday, while India sent a search and rescue team to Burma. Malaysia’s foreign ministry said it will send 50 people on Sunday to help identify and provide aid to the worst-hit areas.

The United Nations said it has allocated $5 million to support life-saving efforts in Burma. Sheela Matthew of the UN World Food Programme, said the disaster happened “at the worst possible time,” exacerbating the humanitarian situation in Burma.

“With one in four in the country already facing acute food insecurity, Myanmar just can’t afford another disaster,” Matthew said in a March 28 statement.

The country has been embroiled in armed conflicts with opponents of military rule for four years since the junta ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in a February 2021 coup. The fighting has left more than 3.5 million people displaced, according to the UN.

The Associated Press, Chris Summers, and Reuters contributed to this report.