Many people are feared dead, along with multiple injuries, after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Thailand and Myanmar on Friday afternoon.
According to reports, the magnitude 7.7 earthquake and its 6.4 aftershock toppled a high-rise building still under construction in Bangkok with three people confirmed dead in the aftermath of the building collapse.
The Red Cross, while confirming the incident, stated that the disaster left lots of ruins in its wake. “Public infrastructure has been damaged, including roads, bridges, and public buildings. We currently have concerns about large-scale dams that people are watching to see their conditions,” Marie Manrique, Program Coordinator for the International Federation of the Red Cross, said.
Thailand’s Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachaisays also confirmed 90 people are missing at the site where the high-rise building under construction collapsed.
Disaster Response Impeded by USAID Suspension
Response to the disaster has been impeded by the suspension of USAID by President Donald Trump as the world-renowned US program for international disaster and crisis assistance can no longer be deployed in the event of a major emergency due to the Trump administration’s dismantling of the US foreign aid agency.
The Disaster Assistance Response Teams, or DARTs, which involve highly trained staff who specialize in mobilizing within 24 to 48 hours of a disaster to lead the US government’s humanitarian response on the ground can no longer function normally following President Donald Trump’s funding freeze for the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
EU Promises Support
The European Union (EU) has promised to support both countries in providing relief materials in the aftermath of the disaster. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday the bloc stood ready to help.
“Heartbreaking scenes from Myanmar and Thailand after the devastating earthquake. My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” von der Leyen wrote on X. “Europe’s Copernicus satellites are already helping first responders. We are ready to provide more support.” She added.
France has also offered its support to the countries with its foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot stating “We are ready to provide support as soon as the need has been expressed and we have evacuated our premises in Bangkok to guard against any form of risk,”