Myanmar earthquake: Military declares ceasefire to ease relief works as deaths pass 3,000

Myanmar military declares ceasefire after earthquake kills 3,000; international aid efforts underway.

Myanmar’s ruling military declared a temporary ceasefire in the country’s civil war Wednesday (April 2, 2025) to facilitate relief efforts following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that has killed more than 3,000 people.

The surprise announcement by military leaders who also head the unelected government came late Wednesday (April 2, 2025) on state television MRTV, which said the halt in fighting would run until April 22 to show compassion for people affected by Friday’s (March 28, 2025) quake.

The announcement followed unilateral temporary ceasefires announced by armed resistance groups opposed to military rule, and the military warned that those groups must refrain from attacking the state and regrouping, or else face “necessary” measures.

The resistance forces have also reserved the right to fight in self-defence.

Earlier Wednesday (April 2, 2025), rescuers pulled two men alive from the ruins of a hotel in Myanmar’s capital, a third from a guesthouse in another city, and another in the country’s second city, Mandalay, five days after the quake. But most teams were finding only bodies.

The quake hit midday Friday (March 28, 2025), toppling thousands of buildings, collapsing bridges and buckling roads. The death toll rose to 3,003 on Wednesday (April 2, 2025), with more than 4,500 people injured, MRTV reported. Local reports suggest much higher figures.

The quake worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis due to Myanmar’s civil war. More than three million people had been displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million were in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations.