* As of Saturday, the disaster has left 1,002 people dead, 2,376 injured and 30 missing in Myanmar alone, the Information Team of the country's State Administration Council reported.

 

* In Thailand, 10 people were killed and 42 others injured, with 78 others remaining missing in the capital of Bangkok, authorities said Saturday.

 

* China has dispatched a national rescue team to assist in disaster relief efforts and also decided to provide Myanmar with 100 million yuan (approximately 13.9 million U.S. dollars) in emergency humanitarian aid to support earthquake relief efforts.

 

YANGON/KUNMING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake, followed by a 6.4 magnitude aftershock minutes later, struck Myanmar's Mandalay region on Friday, causing massive casualties and damage in multiple countries.

 

As of Saturday, the disaster has left 1,002 people dead, 2,376 injured and 30 missing in Myanmar alone, the Information Team of the country's State Administration Council reported.

 

The epicenter was only about 20 km from Mandalay, the country's second-largest city with a population of 1.5 million. In response, the National Disaster Management Committee declared a state of emergency across the Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Magway Region, the northeastern part of Shan State, the capital of Nay Pyi Taw and Bago Region.

 

Rescue operations are underway, while international relief efforts are being swiftly mobilized to address the dire needs of the affected population.

 

WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION

 

Public hospitals in Sagaing, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw urgently called for blood donations as they treated a surge of injured patients, while rescue operations continued amid reports of more people trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

 

Official reports said the earthquake caused a power supply system failure and disrupted mobile networks, leaving parts of Yangon, the country's largest city, without signal.

 

Several key roads linking Mandalay and Yangon in the south were damaged or blocked, while airports in Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw were temporarily shut down, with all flights canceled.

 

Amid aftershocks ranging from 2.8 to 7.5 in magnitude, Xinhua reporters drove from Yangon to Mandalay on Friday. As the night closed in, they witnessed the aftermath of the disaster along the way, including severely damaged highways, shattered restaurant windows and closed hotels.

 

Photos and videos posted on social media showed significant structural damage to buildings, temples and several historical sites in the Mandalay region, including the Mandalay Palace and the Mahamuni Pagoda.

 

A 91-year-old bridge spanning the Irrawaddy River between Mandalay and Sagaing also collapsed.

 

In Yangon, about 560 km south of the epicenter, Xinhua reporters felt strong tremors when the initial quake hit. People evacuated buildings to seek safety, and many scrambled to contact relatives and friends to report their safety, straining local communication networks.

 

NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES AFFECTED

 

The earthquake is the strongest by magnitude so far this year, according to the United States Geological Survey. Tremors were felt in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and southwest China.

 

In Thailand, 10 people were killed and 42 others injured, with 78 others remaining missing in the capital of Bangkok, authorities said Saturday.

 

Following the quake, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced a state of emergency in Bangkok. Noticeable tremors were felt in Thailand's northern provinces, such as Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son. Some tourist attractions in the Pai District of Mae Hong Son have collapsed.

 

In Laos, buildings taller than three stories in the capital of Vientiane experienced noticeable shaking, with residents in high-rise buildings feeling intense swaying.

 

In the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi and the southern hub of Ho Chi Minh City, residents in high-rise buildings also experienced trembler.

 

Strong tremors were also felt in southwest China's Yunnan Province, which borders Myanmar. In Ruili city, located about 300 km from the epicenter, two people were injured, and nine people trapped in an elevator were rescued. According to the Information Office of the Ruili City Government, 847 households were damaged, affecting 2,840 people.

 

After the earthquake, China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co., Ltd. immediately limited the speed of some passenger trains on the China-Laos Railway and other railways. After safety checks confirmed no abnormalities related to line equipment and facilities, those trains resumed normal operation.

 

The earthquake also caused panic in several cities in Bangladesh, including Dhaka and Chattogram. Authorities have advised residents to remain alert and prepare for potential aftershocks.

 

GLOBAL AID EFFORTS UNDERWAY

 

Rescue efforts have intensified in Myanmar despite severe disruptions to transportation and communication networks.

 

Late on Friday, Myanmar's State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing pleaded for help.

 

"I solemnly invite all countries, all organizations, Myanmar monks and people. As long as they are willing to help the disaster victims in Myanmar, we sincerely welcome them," Min Aung Hlaing said in a TV speech.

 

On Friday, the United Nations (UN) allocated 5 million U.S. dollars to Myanmar for earthquake aid while determining additional needs and coordinating the response, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general.

 

The earthquake compounds an already dire humanitarian situation in Myanmar, where nearly 20 million people need assistance, including more than 3.5 million people displaced from their homes, he said. "The UN is mobilizing teams and support."

 

China has dispatched a national rescue team to assist in disaster relief efforts. On Saturday morning, the 82-member team carrying rescue equipment and supplies departed from the Beijing Capital International Airport aboard a chartered Air China flight, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

 

China has also decided to provide Myanmar with 100 million yuan (approximately 13.9 million U.S. dollars) in emergency humanitarian aid to support earthquake relief efforts, a spokesperson for the China International Development Cooperation Agency said.

 

On Saturday, 37 people from China's Yunnan Rescue Medical Team arrived in Myanmar, prepared to bring emergency rescue supplies, including life detectors, earthquake early warning systems and drones, to the quake-stricken area.

 

Earlier in the day, Yunnan Province sent an initial batch of 80 tents and 290 blankets by air to Myanmar.