Massive 7.7 earthquake in Burma, high-rise collapse in Bangkok

[Tanuki]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/28/myanmar-quake-77-bangkok-thailand/

"A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar early Friday afternoon, rocking the country’s second-most-populous city, Mandalay, and shaking buildings more than 600 miles away in the Thai capital, Bangkok. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake, which struck near Sagaing, was followed by several aftershocks — including one with a magnitude of 6.4. The military junta in Myanmar declared a state of emergency in the capital, Naypyidaw, and five regions. In Thailand, a state of emergency was declared in Bangkok, and authorities said at least three people were killed and dozens remained trapped after a building under construction collapsed. The total number of casualties in both countries could not be immediately verified." (More... developing story)

[fargone]

1. Headline uses wrong name for Myanmar

[Tanuki]

2. The military junta changed Burma's official name to Myanmar.

The U.S. State Department has continued to use the name Burma since that time, and so have I. I also still say "the Gulf of Mexico."
https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/burma/

[maxsolomon]

3. Really important point to make.

Are you in the Junta, or just a fan?

[fargone]

7. I'm OK with the company I keep

The OP here is a breaking news link to a horrific geological event in South Asia. The Washington Post described it a centered in Myanmar with effects felt around the region. Since it was a link with no discussion the OP could have used the Washington Post headline, but instead chose to create a new one and in doing so chose a name for the country different from the one used in the link. Generally speaking if you are presenting an informational link, you shouldn't put things in the title that are not in the link. If you are presenting an opinion or discussing something and the link is supporting documentation, then pretty much anything in the title would be OK. The OP gets full credit for pointing out the part of the world where the earthquake happened. That is way above titles like "We just had a tornado" where there is no clue as to whether it was in Abilene, Texas or Galena, Illinois or elsewhere. Posters #2, #3, and #6 quickly jumped in including the smear that I must be somehow linked to the military junta. They did not do that to the other DU threads that discussed the Myanmar quakes nor did they do it to Post #4 here. I am suggesting that if they wish to falsely categorize someone of being a juntafficionado because they use Myanmar that I, an insignificant nobody, am way too small of a target. I strongly recommend that they go after the really big Myanmar-speaking junta supporters such as these- https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/south-east-asia-and-the-pacific/myanmar/report-myanmar/.

I also did a quick survey of organizations with an internet presence who have run articles about this earthquake.

Outlets that used "Burma" -
Fox News

Outlets that used "Burma (Myanmar)"
US Geological Survey

Outlets that used "Myanmar"
Washington Post
New York Times
USA Today
NDTV (India)
Newsweek
CNN
BBC
AP
Al Jazeera English
Times of India
Yahoo
Guardian
Amnesty International
United Nations
CBS News
The Economist
Scientific American
CNBC
PBS Newshour
ABC News
Nation Thailand
Wall Street Journal
Vatican News
South China Morning Post
Journee-Mondiale
Temblor
WPTZ (Burlington VT)
MPR News
Reuters
MEA India
MSNBC
DW (Germany)
Phys.org (science, technology)
KSL.com (Salt Lake City)
Bloomberg
Council on Foreign Relations
France 24
The Independent US
Nautilus
Bangkok Post
The Fargo Forum
Hindustan Times
MINT (India)
Euronews
Center for Disaster Philanthropy (Washington DC)
Taipei Times
Sky News
Vijesti (Montenegro)
Jamaica Gleaner
Le Monde
Newsonair (India)
RTE (Ireland)
Khmer Times (Cambodia)
Maylay Mail
The East African
Fortune
The Times of Israel

So as I stated above, I am OK with the company I keep.

Also of note, tRump has said that the US would help. I am not sure how this would work since he has destroyed the agency that would do it. The only quote from him I could find is "It's a real bad one, and we will be helping. We've already spoken with the country." which provides no evidence that he even knows where the earthquake occurred.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. The Burmese people prefer the name Burma. You used the wrong name, the name the military junta uses. . . nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. At least 144 dead in Myanmar, 3 in Thailand

Myanmar’s junta chief says at least 144 people have been killed and 732 injured by a major earthquake that struck the country and also brought down a high-rise building under construction in the Thai capital, Bangkok.

Min Aung Hlaing said he expected the toll to rise and he was inviting “any country, any organisation” to help with relief efforts – a rare request from the isolated junta.

The powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar at 1.20pm local time at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles). Its epicentre was about 17.2km from Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city.

In Thailand, three people were killed when a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok collapsed. Rescuers are searching for another 81 people trapped in the rubble.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/28/myanmar-earthquake-thailand-magnitude-thailand-tremors-bangkok

[newdeal2]

5. Terrible

And with the idiots in charge here, I sure as hell don’t expect the US to offer any help.

Trump won’t even offer condolences, he will just ramble on about skyscrapers and real estate.