USGS Earthquake Feed

Featured quake

03/28/2025 06:20:52 AM

reviewed

M 7.7 - 2025 Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar) Earthquake

22.011°N, 95.936°E, 10 km deep

2543 reports

USGS

Shake map for M 7.7 - 2025 Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar) Earthquake showing shaking intensity and report locations around the epicenter.

Human Impact

At least 3,791 people killed, 5,106 injured and 88 missing; 55,000 homes, 2,500 schools and 640 hospitals damaged or destroyed; 400 roads and 95 bridges damaged; widespread power and water outages occurred in Myanmar, including 70% of structures damaged in Sagaing. At least 63 people killed and 83 missing and 771 houses damaged mainly in northern Thailand and the Bangkok area. At least 2 people injured and 847 houses damaged in the Ruili area, China. Many high-rise buildings damaged at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Damage estimated at 1.9 billion US dollars. A 500 km surface rupture between Kyaukmyaung, Sagaing and Penwegon, Bago was confirmed through satellite observations. Maximum intensity X.

Tectonic Summary

The March 28, 2025, M7.7 earthquake near Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), occurred as the result of strike slip faulting between the India and Eurasia plates. Focal mechanism solutions indicate that slip occurred on either a north-striking, steeply-dipping, right-lateral fault, or a west striking, steeply-dipping, left-lateral fault. The finite fault solution indicates a north striking right-lateral fault. This focal mechanism and finite fault solution are consistent with the earthquake potentially occurring on the right-lateral Sagaing Fault that lies in the fault zone that defines the plate boundary between the Indian and Sunda plates.

While commonly plotted as points on maps, earthquakes of this size are more appropriately described as slip over a larger fault area. The finite fault solution, informed by satellite observations, indicates the size of the March 28, 2025 event is about 460 km by 15 km (length x width).

This region has experience similar large strike slip earthquakes, with six other magnitude 7 and larger earthquakes occurring with about 150 miles (250 km) of the March 28, 2025 earthquake since 1900. The most recent of these was a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in January 1990, which caused 32 buildings to fall. A magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurred south of today’s earthquake in February 1912. Within this broad zone of tectonic deformation, other large earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in 1988, have caused dozens of fatalities.