Why was Myanmar earthquake so deadly? Scientists explain
The death toll from Myanmar’s powerful earthquake continued to rise on Sunday as international rescue teams and aid poured into the crisis-hit nation. The 7.7-magnitude quake, one of the strongest to hit Myanmar in a century, struck on Friday, killing around 1,700 people, injuring 3,400, and leaving over 300 missing, according to the military government. Bill McGuire, an emeritus professor at University College London, told France24 that the recent earthquake was likely the strongest to hit Myanmar’s mainland in the past 75 years. According to the US Geological Service, the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck near Mandalay on March 28, 2025, was caused by “strike-slip faulting” along the boundary of the India and Eurasia plates. Rebecca Bell, a tectonics expert at Imperial College London, also identified the quake as a strike-slip event along the Sagaing Fault.
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