Heritage sites among landmarks damaged in Myanmar earthquake

Mandalay Palace and several Buddhist temples are among the thousands of buildings to have been damaged in Myanmar following the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck the north of the country on Friday.

The death toll for the earthquake, which occurred close to Mandalay, Myanmar's second-biggest city, has surpassed 1,700, and it is believed to have damaged at least 3,000 buildings in the country.

It also rattled neighbouring Thailand, where a high-rise office building under construction in Bangkok experienced total collapse and at least 18 people were killed.

Bangkok also rattled by quake

Entire neighbourhoods, hospitals, bridges and railways have been left in ruins in Myanmar, and authorities have estimated that approximately 150 mosques and pagodas have been destroyed by the quake, which was followed by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock.

Among the landmark heritage sites in Myanmar to have been heavily damaged is Mandalay Palace, which dates back to 1857 and is the last royal palace of the last Burmese monarchy. Photos show that a large pagoda on the palace walls has toppled, while a number of its walls have crumbled.

The Buddhist temple Mandalay Mahamuni has also collapsed, while the spire of Shwe Sar Yan Pagoda, another key Buddhist site, has fallen.

Le palais de Mandalay partiellement détruit par le dernier tremblement de terre qui a frappé la Birmanie le 29 mars. Construit au XIXe siècle, principal symbole de souveraineté et d'identité, il a abrité toutes les joies et malheurs de la #monarchie birmane.#BurmaEarthquake pic.twitter.com/oO9NBm9AGh

— Monarchies et Dynasties du monde (@Monarchies2000) March 30, 2025

Mandalay Palace and Mandalay Mahamuni are among the damaged heritage sites

In Bangkok, it is believed that 70 construction workers are still missing after the collapse of the 30-storey tower, which was captured in several dramatic videos shared across social media since Friday.

Since the tower's collapse, an anti-corruption watchdog has flagged concerns that a sub-standard steel was used in its construction. The local government is investigating the cause, and rescue operations are continuing.

Numerous videos taken in Bangkok also show water splashing out of swimming pools high up on skyscrapers while other high-rise buildings were seen swaying in the aftershocks, such as MahaNakhon, a 77-storey MahaNakhon by Ole Scheeren.

Concerns over Myanmar's ability to recover

Other significant landmarks damaged in Myanmar include the Ava Bridge, which was filmed falling into a river,

The 16-span structure was built by the British in 1934 but destroyed during world war two. It was rebuilt in 1954 after the Burmese independence.

Following the event on Friday, there are widespread concerns over Myanmar's ability to effectively respond to the crisis, with the country having been locked in civil war and ruled by a military junta since 2021.

La torre Mahanakhon, de 314 metros, el edificio más alto de #Bangkok durante el terremoto. pic.twitter.com/ya134kOCa6

— Pol Comaposada ปอล (@Mundo_Nomada) March 28, 2025

Ole Scheeren's MahaNakhon was seen swaying in Bangkok

In response to the event, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) humanitarian network has stated that Myanmar is facing a humanitarian crisis.

"What we're seeing here in Myanmar is a level of devastation that hasn't been seen over a century in Asia,” it wrote in a post on X.

"This is not just a disaster; it is a complex humanitarian crisis layered over existing vulnerabilities,” Alexander Matheou, regional director for Asia Pacific at the IFRC, said in a separate statement, according to The Guardian.

The main image of Mandalay is by Shutterstock.

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