Vietnam’s rescue teams consisting of military and police personnel are scheduled to depart for Myanmar on Sunday to aid in the search and rescue efforts following a powerful magnitude-7.7 quake that has killed over 1,600 people and left thousands injured.

The General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army held a meeting on Saturday to finalize deployment plans for humanitarian support for Myanmar. 

Senior Lieutenant General Huynh Chien Thang, deputy chief of the General Staff, confirmed that troops could be deployed as early as Sunday afternoon.

Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang had earlier ordered the formation of a relief team, which was approved by the Party Central Committee's Secretariat. 

The 79-member military team includes engineering units and military medical staff, along with sniffer dogs.

Led by Major General Pham Van Ty, deputy head of the General Staff’s Search and Rescue Department, the team will bring carefully selected, lightweight, and efficient equipment -- lessons drawn from Vietnam’s earlier relief efforts in Turkey in 2023.

The mission was also tasked with coordinating effectively with international agencies, local authorities, and civilians in Myanmar.

Senior Lieutenant General Thang emphasized that this mission demonstrates Vietnam’s international humanitarian commitment and enhances the reputation and capability of the Vietnamese military on the global stage.

Alongside the military mission, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security also announced the deployment of a separate 25-member police rescue team led by Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong, deputy head of the Police Department of Fire Prevention and Rescue.

This group, including doctors, interpreters, and sniffer dogs, is expected to arrive in Myanmar on Sunday evening.

They will support search and medical efforts over a 10-day period and adapt to on-ground needs as requested by Myanmar authorities.

The quake, which struck Myanmar at 1:20 pm (Vietnam time) on Friday, is among the biggest to jolt the Southeast Asian nation in the last century, crippling airports, bridges and highways amid a civil war that has wrecked the economy and displaced millions, Reuters reported.

Its tremors were felt in neighboring regions, including the Thai capital Bangkok and two major Vietnamese cities -- Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

According to AFP, communication breakdowns induced by the powerful quake have made damage assessments difficult.

As of 10:00 pm on Saturday (Vietnam time), Myanmar’s military government reported at least 1,644 deaths, more than 3,400 injured, and 139 people missing. 

Over 2,900 buildings, 30 roads, and seven bridges have been damaged.

In related news, Vietnamese telecom operator Viettel, through its local brand Mytel in Myanmar, also responded rapidly. 

Within hours of the quake, Mytel launched emergency relief efforts for around four million customers across 98 townships. 

Each affected customer received free 1GB of data, 300 call minutes, and 300 SMS messages to maintain contact with family and authorities.

To address widespread power outages, Mytel set up mobile charging stations in hard-hit areas.

Mytel engineers and technicians worked through the night to keep communications stable, deploying mobile towers and backup systems to ensure uninterrupted rescue coordination.

Mytel also set up 45 relief points providing 10,000 meals and essential supplies, with plans to expand further in the coming days.

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