Fresh quake jolts central Myanmar, one of strongest aftershocks since March 28

A 5.5-magnitude earthquake rattled central Myanmar on Sunday morning near Meiktila, a small city, as the country continues recovery efforts following the powerful 7.7-magnitude quake that struck on March 28.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the latest tremor’s epicentre lay between Mandalay—Myanmar’s second-largest city, which bore major damage and casualties in the earlier quake—and the administrative capital Naypyitaw, where several government buildings were affected.  

Though no major casualties or destruction were immediately reported, this quake is among the strongest in a series of aftershocks since the March disaster. By Friday,(11 April ’25) the official death toll from the March 28 temblor had reached 3,649, with 5,018 people injured, according to military spokesperson Maj Gen Zaw Min Tun.

Myanmar's Meteorological Department said Sunday's quake occurred in Wundwin Township, about 97 kilometres (60 miles) south of Mandalay, at a depth of 20 kilometres (12 miles). The USGS offered a slightly different estimate, placing the depth at 7.7 kilometres (4.8 miles). Residents in Wundwin described scenes of panic. Two people who spoke to The Associated Press by phone said the tremor was powerful enough to send people fleeing buildings, with some ceilings damaged. A resident from Naypyitaw, however, said he did not feel the tremor. All requested anonymity out of concern over reprisals from the military government, which keeps a tight grip on the flow of information.

Last week, the United Nations warned that the devastation caused by the late-March quake has deepened Myanmar's already dire humanitarian crisis, where conflict has displaced over 3 million people. The UN noted that the disaster has “severely disrupted agricultural production” and raised alarms about a looming health crisis, as many medical facilities in the region were either damaged or destroyed.

Sunday’s quake came as Myanmar marked the beginning of Thingyan, the traditional three-day New Year festival. Public celebrations had already been called off due to the ongoing national emergency.