Myanmar earthquake death toll rises to 3,085 as more bodies found; Min Aung Hlaing to join BIMSTEC summit

Myanmar junta leader attends regional summit as earthquake death toll surpasses 3,000, sparking humanitarian crisis.

The head of Myanmar’s junta arrived in Bangkok on Thursday (April 3, 2025) for a regional summit, as the death toll from his country’s devastating earthquake passed 3,000.

Min Aung Hlaing will join a BIMSTEC gathering — the seven littoral nations of the Bay of Bengal — where he will raise the response to Friday’s (March 28, 2025) 7.7-magnitude quake.

“The death toll from the massive earthquake that hit Myanmar nearly a week ago rose on Thursday (April 3, 2025) to 3,085 as search-and-rescue teams found more bodies,” the military-led government said and humanitarian aid groups scrambled to provide survivors medical care and shelter.

In a short statement, the military said another 4,715 people have been injured and 341 are missing.

How did the Myanmar earthquake occur? | Explained

The epicentre of Friday's (March 28, 2025) 7.7 magnitude earthquake was near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city. It brought down thousands of buildings, buckled roads and destroyed bridges in multiple regions.

Local media reports of casualties have been much higher than the official figures and with telecommunications widely out and many places difficult to reach, it's thought the numbers could rise sharply as more details come in.