A 37-member rescue team of Southwest China's Yunnan Province, joined by Myanmar's rescue forces, retrieves an elderly man in earthquake-hit Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw on March 30, 2025. (Photo/Xinhua)

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday extended condolences to Myanmar's leader Min Aung Hlaing over the massive earthquake. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi mourned the deaths and extended sincere condolences to the bereaved families, the injured, and the people affected by the disaster. China is ready to provide assistance, and support efforts to overcome the disaster and rebuild homes at an early date, Xi said, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Chinese government-dispatched and civilian rescue teams have arrived in quake-hit areas in Myanmar, with more rescue forces and much-needed supplies pouring in the country.

About 1,700 people died, 3,400 were injured, and 300 remained missing in the massive earthquake in Myanmar, according to the country's State Administration Council on Sunday, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit the Southeast Asian country on Friday, with Mandalay, Bago, Magway, the northeastern Shan state, Sagaing, and Nay Pyi Taw among the hardest-hit regions.

The earthquake also resulted in building collapses, road disruptions, and severe damage to public facilities. For example, in parts of Mandalay, up to 80 percent of buildings were damaged, with many temples, schools, and hospitals completely reduced to rubble, the Global Times learned.

A 118-member force from the China International Search and Rescue Team, consisting of earthquake experts, structural engineers, search and rescue personnel, and medical staff, departed from Beijing at 7:38 pm on Sunday aboard two Y-20 strategic transport aircraft bound for Myanmar's capital, Nay Pyi Taw. The team, carrying six search and rescue dogs, two rescue vehicles, 634 sets of rescue equipment and supplies, and medical supplies, will proceed to the disaster-stricken areas to conduct emergency relief operations, according to CCTV News.

The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar confirmed with the Global Times that as of 4 pm Sunday, 14 Chinese nationals in Myanmar were injured in the earthquake. The embassy will send personnel to Yangon General Hospital to visit the Chinese nationals transferred there from Mandalay for treatment.

When asked to update on the Chinese rescue teams to the quake-stricken country on Sunday, the official with the Department of Press, Communication and Public Diplomacy of the embassy told the Global Times the first to arrive was the rescue team from Yunnan Province, which reached Yangon Saturday morning, carrying full-function life detectors, earthquake early warning systems, portable satellite phones, drones and other rescue equipment.

The 37-member rescue team of China's Yunnan Province, joined by Myanmar's rescue forces, retrieved an elderly man in earthquake-hit Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw on Sunday morning, per Xinhua.

The man had been trapped for nearly 40 hours under the rubble of the Ottara Thiri Private Hospital in the city. After an overnight emergency rescue, it was the first person rescued by the Chinese team after arriving in the earthquake-stricken area of Myanmar on Saturday.

Another 82-member Chinese rescue team dispatched by China's Ministry of Emergency Management arrived at the Mandalay disaster zone on Sunday. On Saturday night, a rescue team dispatched by the Hong Kong government also arrived in Yangon.

There are also civilian rescue forces that are rushing to provide aid, the embassy official said.

A 23-member volunteer team from Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province departed for Myanmar on Saturday afternoon, carrying light rescue equipment, medical emergency equipment and life detectors, and accompanied by one rescue dog, to assist in disaster relief and rescue efforts, Xinhua reported.

On Saturday, 16 experienced members of the China Blue Sky Rescue Team's Yunnan branch left the border port of Ruili for Myanmar, carrying personal protective equipment, first aid kits, power generation lighting equipment, demolition tools, and other earthquake rescue equipment and supplies.

Blue Sky Rescue Team from Hunan detected a survivor with vital signs using a life detector at the Mandalay Buddhist Hall on Sunday morning. They then collaborated with the local fire department to devise a rescue plan, carried out demolition and extraction operations, and successfully rescued the survivor, according to the Chinese Embassy.

China's prompt deployment of a medical rescue team to assist Myanmar is critical, and the team is expected to demonstrate a high level of professionalism, Wang Tun, an earthquake early warning expert and head of the Sichuan-based Institute of Care-life, told the Global Times on Sunday. He noted that while the "golden 72-hour rescue window" is a somewhat flexible concept, the region's mild climate, free from extreme cold, could extend the window and improve the chances of successful rescues.

However, Wang cautioned that the warmer climate also increases the risk of infectious disease outbreaks, such as cholera, due to difficulties in handling victims' remains. In this context, the medical supplies delivered by the Chinese rescue team will be essential, he added.

According to construction industry volunteers participating in the rescue, there is asbestos contamination in the Myanmar earthquake disaster area, posing a significant risk to the health of rescue personnel.

Li Ming, a spokesperson for the China International Development Cooperation Agency, said that China will provide 100 million yuan in emergency humanitarian aid to Myanmar to support local earthquake relief efforts, according to Xinhua.

The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) has sent emergency humanitarian aid to Myanmar, including 300 tents, 2,000 blankets, 600 folding beds, and relief kits for 2,000 affected households. An international RCSC rescue team has also departed for Myanmar with necessary equipment to carry out humanitarian relief operations, the RCSC said on Saturday, Xinhua said.

Pauk-phaw bond in action

Myanmar's State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Mandalay by helicopter on Saturday morning to inspect the severely affected area, according to Myanmar Radio and Television. Min Aung Hlaing called for international assistance on Friday.

Min Aung Hlaing on Sunday morning visited the Ottara Thiri Hospital in Nay Pyi Taw, where he met with members of the Chinese rescue team from Yunnan. He expressed gratitude for their prompt arrival in Myanmar to assist with post-earthquake rescue efforts, Yunnan Daily reported.

Li Bobo, chairman of the Myanmar-China Exchange and Cooperation Association, who was present at the hospital event on Sunday, told the Global Times that thanks to the Chinese rescue team's overnight efforts, a 74-year-old man trapped in the hospital was retrieved. After a one-hour break, the team resumed its search for other survivors.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong on Saturday met with Myanmar's Ambassador to China Tin Maung Swe.

Sun stated that China and Myanmar are a community of shared future, sharing weal and woe. The severe earthquake that hit Myanmar on Friday caused heavy casualties and property losses, with which Chinese people deeply resonated.

In this difficult moment, China stands resolutely with the people of Myanmar, demonstrating the meaning of a shared future through concrete action, said Sun.

Ambassador Tin Maung Swe said that the massive earthquake caused immense destruction in Myanmar, with the death toll continuing to rise. He said that true friendship is revealed in times of adversity. President Xi's message of condolence to Myanmar's leader, coupled with China's immediate assistance at Myanmar's most difficult and urgent hour - being the first to send rescue teams - has allowed the people of Myanmar to deeply feel the brotherly "Pauk-phaw" bond with China.

Myanmar, he said, will spare no effort in disaster relief and will ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, enterprises, and institutions in the country.

Besides the rescue teams and aids, China also deployed 14 remote sensing satellites, to survey the region affected by the strong earthquake that struck Myanmar on Friday. As of Saturday afternoon, 20 satellite imaging sessions have been arranged, obtaining 16 sets of effective post-disaster data and sharing three historical datasets. Moving forward, satellite imagery will continue to support post-earthquake emergency response and disaster assessment, according to the China Center for Resources Satellite Data and Application.

Changsha Tianyi Space Technology Research Institute also deployed its commercial use SAR satellites to conduct emergency survey in the quake-hit regions in Myanmar after the disaster broke out on Friday.

By combining this data with historical records, analysts can assess ground deformation caused by the quake and issue warnings about potential secondary disasters, the institute told the Global Times on Sunday.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing)