A delegation of Vietnamese military personnel, dispatched to assist in the earthquake relief efforts in Myanmar, will split into three groups to conduct search and rescue operations in Mandalay, the area most severely affected by a recent magnitude-7.7 quake.

After landing at Yangon International Airport on Sunday evening, the Vietnamese military rescue delegation traveled nearly 500 kilometers by car and reached the capital Naypyidaw at around 3:00 am on Monday.

Upon arrival in Naypyidaw, Major General Pham Van Ty, head of the Vietnamese military rescue team, said the team would meet with Myanmar’s coordination committee on Monday morning to finalize search and rescue strategies.

“The Myanmar side has requested our support in Mandalay, about 200 kilometers from Naypyidaw, as it is near the quake’s epicenter, with numerous victims still trapped under the rubble,” said Major General Ty, who is deputy chief of the Search and Rescue Department at the General Staff under the Vietnam People’s Army.

Once deployed to Mandalay, the Vietnamese team will quickly establish their base of operations, dispatch reconnaissance units, and begin search-and-rescue missions.

They will be divided into three smaller groups to accelerate efforts across multiple directions, aiming to locate and assist victims as rapidly as possible.

Major General Ty emphasized the team's commitment to working tirelessly to minimize the suffering of the Myanmar people.

He added that both rescue teams from the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security are prepared to execute any tasks assigned to them, following coordination with Myanmar authorities.

Vietnam’s swift response highlights its commitment to regional humanitarian support following the powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar at 1:20 pm (Vietnam time) on Friday, one of the strongest to hit the country in the past century.

The quake’s tremors were felt in neighboring areas, including Bangkok and Vietnam’s two largest cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Reuters cited Myanmar’s military government as saying that the quake left around 1,700 people dead, 3,400 injured, and over 300 missing as of Sunday.

Late on Sunday, 106 members from the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security arrived in Yangon Airport to join earthquake relief efforts in Myanmar.

Vietnam also provided Myanmar with emergency relief aid worth US$300,000, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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