BANGKOK (AP) — Friday’s deadly earthquake rattled most of Myanmar and Thailand but certain areas sustained the heaviest damage, including flattened buildings and many lost lives.
The death toll of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday rose quickly in Myanmar and was at 1,644 victims by Sunday. There were a further 3,408 people injured and 139 missing.
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Damaged buildings are seen in the aftermath of an earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Damaged buildings are seen in the aftermath of an earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
A local man rides a bicycle past a damaged building in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Damaged buildings are seen in the aftermath of an earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
A local man drives a motorbike past damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
In the greater Bangkok area, which took the brunt of the quake in Thailand, officials said Sunday the count was 18 dead, 33 injured and 78 people missing.
Officials were still assessing the damage and any overall estimate remains incomplete. But two days later a clearer picture has emerged about the extent of the destruction.
Myanmar sits on the major north-south Sagaing Fault, which separates the India and Sunda plates, and the widespread damage runs down a wide swath of the middle of the country. The area includes Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city with 1.5 million people that is located near the earthquake’s epicenter.
Critical infrastructure has been destroyed including the historic Ava Bridge connecting Sagaing and Mandalay, Mandalay University and various heritage sites, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a statement Sunday.
Little information has come out so far from areas other than the main urban areas of Mandalay city and Naypitaw and the Red Cross said the airports remain closed in both areas.
Significant damage also has been reported in the Sagaing, Naypyidaw, Magway, Bago and Shan State regions, while telecommunications outages continued to hamper emergency coordination in several regions, the Red Cross said.
The Red Cross said it has launched an emergency appeal for 100 million Swiss francs ($113.3 million) to assist 100,000 people in 20,000 households over the next 24 months.
Damaged buildings are seen in the aftermath of an earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Damaged buildings are seen in the aftermath of an earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
A local man rides a bicycle past a damaged building in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Damaged buildings are seen in the aftermath of an earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
A local man drives a motorbike past damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
BURGAS, Bulgaria (AP) — Paul Magnier claimed the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia after the French rider won a sprint finish, while race favorite Jonas Vingegaard finished safely in the pack on Friday.
Magnier, who rides for Soudal Quick-Step, will wear the pink shirt for Stage 2 after his first win at a three-week Grand Tour.
The Giro’s opening three stages are being held in Bulgaria. The opening stage was a flat 147-kilometer (91-mile) course from Nessebar to Burgas on the Black Sea coast. Magnier finished the stage in 3 hours, 21 minutes, edging Tobias Lund Andresen at the finish line.
Several riders went down in a crash when a rider clipped a temporary barrier during the run-in over the final kilometer. It appears all the riders who fell managed to get up and finish the stage.
Vingegaard is aiming to complete the rare feat of winning all three Grand Tours. The Danish leader of Jumbo Visma team won the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023 and the Spanish Vuelta last year. This year, he won the Paris-Nice and Volta de Catalonia weeklong races in March.
Tadej Pogačar, cycling's top talent, is skipping the Giro to focus on adding to his four Tour titles in July.
Saturday's stage is a hilly 221-kilometer ride from Burgas to Tarnovo.
The Giro finishes in Rome on May 31.
AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling
The pack rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)
The pack rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)
The pack rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)
France's Paul Magnier celebrates winning stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)
Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)