Updated March 29, 2025 at 11:18 AM ET
BANGKOK — It was the noise that first alerted Chit Thae Thae Zaw that something might be wrong.
On the 5th floor of her university dormitory building, she wasn't used to the rumbling sound coming from the lower floors. Then, the earthquake began.
"I realized there was a problem, and if I didn't get down soon, I wouldn't be able to escape anymore," she said. "I thought, 'Am I going to survive?' "
Chit had experienced quakes in Myanmar before, but never on this scale.
The temblor with a magnitude of 7.7, struck at around 12:50 p.m. local time (1:50 a.m. ET) on Friday. It has devastated large areas within Myanmar, and was felt in Thailand and China as well.
State-run media reports that the death toll has now risen to over 1,600, with over 3,400 injured inside Myanmar. It is thought the death toll will continue to rise.
The quake's epicenter, roughly 10 miles from the town of Sagaing in central Myanmar, is close to Myanmar's second most populated city, Mandalay. The damage there and in the surrounding regions has been extensive.
Rushing down to the ground floor, Chit emerged onto the streets of Mandalay, now covered in dust.
Videos shared on social media show wreckage on the streets, with multiple buildings collapsed. Another shows the Sagaing bridge, an important connecting point between Mandalay and the rest of Myanmar, destroyed.
"People are asking for help to rescue their family members from the fallen-down buildings. On the street, the people who could escape from dangerous conditions are sleeping on the empty ground," Chit said.
John McGown, program director for Plan International, an NGO active in Myanmar, said, "We have staff members who have family in Mandalay that weren't able to sleep inside their homes last night because of fear of tremors."
Internet and phone lines were also cut in Mandalay, Sagaing, and in southern Shan state, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reported Saturday.
Although some areas are now periodically reconnected, the disconnect initially left residents like Chit cut off from their families, unable to find out whether they had survived or not.
International aid is heading to Myanmar
In the face of the destruction, Myanmar's ruling military junta have made a rare request for humanitarian aid.
On Friday, Russia said 120 rescue workers had been sent to Myanmar to assist in the search for victims caught in the rubble. China, meanwhile, has pledged to provide Myanmar with 100 million yuan ($13.8 million) in humanitarian aid and also sent teams to assist in relief efforts. President Trump on Friday said the U.S. would also help with the response.
But, although countries around the world have pledged to send support, the quake has also made coordination of rescue efforts more difficult.
Plan International's McGown told NPR that communication difficulties have made it impossible for teams from the organization to coordinate in real time as they enter the hardest hit areas. Damage to infrastructure has also slowed teams' efforts to reach certain towns.
The quake has compounded existing issues within Myanmar. Since 2021, the country has been run by a military junta and been engaged in an ongoing civil war that has devastated large areas.
"The earthquake has taken what were already marginal issues and has made them worse and made it more difficult to access information and even to access certain areas," McGown said.
The initial quake has also been followed by numerous aftershocks of up to 6.4 magnitude.
In Bangkok, which was also hit by the quake, rescue efforts have focused on a 30-story building that collapsed following the earthquake. With drones, sniffer dogs and heavy machinery, rescue operators have been working around the clock to free dozens of people thought to be trapped inside.
Families of those trapped inside have congregated outside of the slumped building. Many have been waiting there for more than 24 hours, holding out hope that their loved ones will soon emerge.
Dar Dar Moo contributed to this story.
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