More than 100 houses collapse in Mandalay, Myanmar, 3 Chinese people buried.

A strong earthquake in Myanmar has caused severe damage in the Mandalay region, with many buildings collapsing, including mosques, schools, and hospitals. Local Chinese residents reported that at least over a hundred buildings have collapsed in the heavily affected Mandalay, with three confirmed locations where Chinese nationals are buried.

Contact was made with Li Jianjun, the secretary general of the Myanmar Hunan Chamber of Commerce currently in Mandalay. Li has been in Mandalay for over a decade and on March 28, his residence was damaged in the earthquake. He posted on his social media to inform friends and family: “The small villa I live in seems to be the most severely damaged. Tonight, I have nowhere to stay. I am safe, but over 20% of the houses in this city have been destroyed.”

Li Jianjun stated that in Mandalay, “at least over a hundred buildings have collapsed, with three confirmed locations where Chinese nationals are buried.”

One location is the New Great Wall Hotel. The hotel is operated by Chinese and mostly accommodates Chinese guests. After the earthquake, one of the buildings at the New Great Wall Hotel was skewed. “I just went to see, they are currently conducting rescue operations, there are definitely Chinese inside,” said Li Jianjun.

Another location is the Win Star Hotel. “All are Chinese, except for some who went out and escaped, many are buried underneath. Seven or eight people have been rescued, but currently at least five people are buried underneath.”

There is also the Sky Villa residential area. “Currently, this area has the highest number of people buried. The 11-story building now only has 6 floors left, with the bottom 5 floors stacked together. It is said that during the collapse of the residential area, someone heard a cry for help in Chinese, so it is speculated that Chinese people are buried. Residents from the top six floors have already escaped, but the situation is more severe in the collapsed bottom 5 floors.”

Li Jianjun stated that there are around 50,000 Chinese expatriates in Mandalay, with about 10,000 Chinese nationals.

He mentioned that some roads from Mandalay to Yangon are damaged and broken, while a highway from Yangon to Mandalay is currently passable, though the travel time from Yangon to Mandalay by car now takes 10 hours.

He emphasized that transportation is currently the most critical issue. Due to the earthquake’s impact, many shops in Mandalay are closed, and the population is facing shortages of essential goods. If transportation is paralyzed, people will face shortages of goods. The local government is currently speeding up road repairs.

Li Jianjun also mentioned that the temperature in Mandalay is very high at present, close to 40 degrees Celsius.

The Beijing Daily client reported on March 30 that the area near the epicenter in Mandalay, Myanmar, is currently experiencing a dry and hot season in terms of climate, with hot and dry weather. It is expected that on the 30th and 31st, the highest temperature in Mandalay will approach 40 degrees Celsius.

In central Myanmar, a 7.7 Richter scale earthquake struck on March 28, with the epicenter located approximately 17.2 kilometers from Mandalay city. The disaster in Mandalay city is severe. The ceiling of Mandalay International Airport collapsed due to the tremors, leading to the cancellation of all flights.

A video online shows the collapse of the Win Star Hotel with the hotel collapsing and the sign falling to the ground.

Mr. Wu, who frequently conducts jade business in Myanmar, told Jiupai News that the hotel is inexpensive with a large number of rooms, accommodating many Chinese nationals. It was a rest day in Myanmar, and “some people were sleeping in the hotel, especially since the earthquake occurred at noon, causing great concern.”

Yang Xingji, the president of the Yunnan Chamber of Commerce in Mandalay, mentioned that the destruction caused by the earthquake is indeed severe, with the old city area of Mandalay being significantly affected. “Some hotels have collapsed.” He also noted that the new city of Mandalay, being newly constructed over the past decade, may have higher structural stability.

The United States Geological Survey reported that a strong 7.7 earthquake occurred in central Myanmar.

The earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar’s largest city, caused noticeable shaking in neighboring areas such as Yangon in Myanmar, Thailand, and even the Yunnan region in mainland China, prompting panic and evacuation of residents.