Myanmar got another scare on Sunday, March 30, 2025, when a 5.1 magnitude aftershock hit just 17 miles north of Mandalay at around noon local time. It’s the latest jolt since Friday’s huge 7.7 magnitude earthquake tore through the country, and it’s keeping everyone jumpy—rescue teams, families, and survivors who thought the worst was over. The ground won’t stay still, and that’s making a bad mess even worse. The big quake struck on Friday, March 28, near Sagaing, 16 kilometers from Mandalay, flattening homes and killing over 1,700 people by Sunday afternoon, says Myanmar’s military TV, MRTV.
That first hit was shallow—just 10 kilometers deep—so it shook hard, wrecking buildings and roads. Since then, 15 aftershocks have rattled the area, some big, some small, says the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Friday’s strongest follow-up was a 6.4 magnitude punch just 12 minutes later, but Sunday’s **5.1 near Mandalay—about 27 kilometers away—**sent people running again. It happened fast. “We felt it, and everyone just bolted outside,” a shopkeeper in Mandalay told. He was stacking what was left of his store when the ground moved—shelves fell, and he ran with his wife and kid to the street. “We’re too scared to go back in,” he said, joining hundreds who camped out in open spots, afraid more roofs would drop.
The USGS clocked it, strong enough to crack weak walls, but not as bad as Friday’s killer. Rescue work took a hit too. Teams digging through rubble in Mandalay—like at the Sky Villa Condominium, where a woman got pulled out alive Saturday—had to stop when the aftershock came, says The Guardian. “We’re listening for voices, but now we’re dodging bricks again,” a volunteer told Reuters.
Over 3,400 are hurt, and 300-plus are missing, per MRTV, and this shake slowed down the hunt for them. In Bangkok, 621 miles away, where 17 died from a fallen building, folks felt it lightly too—no new damage, but plenty of nerves. The USGS says it’s the Sagaing fault—a big crack where the India and Eurasia plates slide past each other. Friday’s quake was the main punch, but these aftershocks are the ground settling, says quake expert Bill McGuire from London, quoted in The Guardian. “They’ll keep coming for days, maybe weeks,” he warned. Latest hit near Shwebo, 68 miles from Mandalay—kept the fear alive.
People are worn out.
“We can’t sleep, can’t eat—every rumble’s a panic,” a mom in Mandalay told CNN Sunday, holding her baby outside a cracked house.
The military’s burning bodies in the streets now—crematoriums are full with 1,700 dead. Aid’s coming—Singapore sent 78 rescuers with dogs today—but this aftershock made it trickier, knocking out more power lines. “It’s like the earth’s mad at us,” a guy in Sagaing said, watching his wrecked shop. Sunday’s 5.1 wasn’t the worst, but it’s a loud reminder—Myanmar’s not done shaking, and neither are the people trying to pick up the pieces.