Myanmar Quake Survivors Still Waiting

A year after Myanmar’s devastating earthquake, much of the country’s reconstruction remains incomplete, leaving survivors struggling to rebuild their lives.

The 7.7‑magnitude tremor struck on 28 March 2025, killing more than 3,800 people in Myanmar and around 90 in neighbouring Thailand. Mandalay, the ancient royal capital, bore the brunt of the destruction, with homes, pagodas and mosques collapsing under the force of the quake.

Reporters revisiting the region found a patchwork recovery. In Naypyidaw, the main hospital’s collapsed awning has been replaced with a lighter structure, but in Mandalay many sites remain scarred. The historic Ava Bridge still droops into the Irrawaddy river, and religious communities continue to worship in temporary shelters.

At Amarapura’s Shwe Ku Gyi Pagoda, statues lie in rubble, while monks recall clearing debris by hand. “People are facing many economic hardships,” said abbot U Thudassa.

“We build as much as we can with what we have.” In Bon Oe village, worshippers gather under tarpaulins after their mosque collapsed during Friday prayers, killing many. Government approval for a permanent replacement has yet to be granted.

Some progress is visible: tilted palace towers have been restored, and new ramparts are being built. Joggers now circle the moat where thousands once camped in fear of aftershocks. Yet for many, the trauma lingers. “Everyone still trembles at any loud noise,” said mosque leader Khin Maung Naing. “Even after a year, the scenes and feelings from that earthquake feel as if they happened only yesterday.”

The quake struck amid Myanmar’s ongoing civil conflict, compounding the challenges of recovery. Survivors continue to balance rebuilding with daily hardship, their resilience tested by both natural disaster and political turmoil.

-2026-03-27