Search-and-rescue forces from Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security have reached Sagaing City, Myanmar, where they have begun the urgent task of locating survivors trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building following the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

Immediate deployment, overnight journey

On the morning of March 31, representatives of the rescue team reported that 26 officers had traveled overnight from Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi) to Yangon, Myanmar, arriving at 6:15 PM local time.

From there, they continued by road for eight hours to reach Sagaing, one of the most severely affected areas - located roughly 250 km from Myanmar's capital, Naypyidaw.

Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong, Deputy Director of the Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue Police Department, who is leading the mission, immediately organized the personnel into three task forces during their bus transfer.

These teams were assigned responsibilities including equipment deployment, logistics, campsite setup, and coordination with local authorities.

Searching a collapsed three-story building

Upon arrival in Sagaing, the team held a brief coordination meeting with Myanmar’s National Disaster Emergency Response Center, then moved straight to a collapsed three-story building, spanning over 200 square meters.

The local government reported that at least two individuals - a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s - were believed to be trapped inside. The Vietnamese team conducted an initial survey and detected the scent of decomposing bodies, prompting the deployment of trained K9 units to aid in the search.

“The building has completely collapsed. We are preparing to send in rescue dogs to pinpoint any survivors or casualties,” Colonel Khuong confirmed.

Coordinated international rescue efforts

The deployment is part of a broader humanitarian mission launched on March 30, when Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security held a formal departure ceremony for the team. 

The 26-member rescue team includes highly skilled officers trained for emergency medical response and structural collapse search-and-rescue. The unit is equipped with modern rescue gear and will remain on-site to assist Myanmar in life-saving operations and damage recovery.

According to the latest official data, the series of earthquakes and aftershocks that struck Myanmar on March 28 have resulted in at least 1,700 deaths, 3,400 injuries, and nearly 300 people listed as missing.

Dinh Hieu