BANGKOK, 28 Mac: Perdana Menteri Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra pada Jumaat mengarahkan Menteri Dalam Negeri mengisytiharkan Bangkok sebagai kawasan darurat berikutan gempa bumi kuat berukuran 7.1 magnitud menggegarkan ibu negara Thailand.

Paetongtarn yang kini dalam lawatan kerja ke Phuket turut memerintahkan pelaksanaan segera langkah tindak balas dan mobilisasi sumber untuk operasi bantuan gempa bumi.

Beliau menyatakan pakar meramalkan akan berlaku gegaran susulan dalam tempoh dua jam akan datang, walaupun dijangka semakin berkurangan.

“Data statistik menunjukkan gegaran susulan mungkin berterusan sehingga 24 jam. Saya menyeru orang ramai mengosongkan bangunan tinggi dan tetap tenang tetapi berwaspada. Sekolah telah dinasihatkan menghantar pelajar pulang sebagai langkah berjaga-jaga,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas mengadakan mesyuarat kecemasan di Phuket pada Jumaat.

Paetongtarn mengumumkan akan segera kembali ke Bangkok dan mempengerusikan mesyuarat kecemasan dengan semua agensi berkaitan pada 5 petang Jumaat.

Jabatan Pencegahan dan Mitigasi Bencana Thailand (DDPM) melaporkan gempa bumi berukuran 7.1 magnitud melanda Myanmar pada 1:20 tengah hari, dengan gegaran dirasai di Bangkok.

Media tempatan melaporkan sebuah bangunan dalam pembinaan di daerah Chatuchak runtuh akibat gempa bumi, dengan 43 pekerja terperangkap menurut Institut Perubatan Kecemasan Kebangsaan.

Sementara itu di Bangkok, penduduk mengosongkan bangunan dan perniagaan ditutup sementara sebagai langkah berjaga-jaga. Pihak berkuasa sedang menilai kerosakan dan memantau gegaran susulan.

Bursa Saham Thailand menggantung semua aktiviti dagangan untuk sesi petang Jumaat.

Sistem Transit Massa Bangkok (BTS) turut mengumumkan melalui akaun X rasmi bahawa Laluan Sukhumvit, Laluan Silom dan Laluan Gold ditutup sementara dengan perkhidmatan penumpang digantung.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — The Batang Kali landslide on December 16, 2022, left an indelible mark on Malaysia’s history, claiming 31 lives — 13 of them children.

One of the country’s deadliest landslides in recent years, the disaster underscored both nature’s destructive force and systemic vulnerabilities.

What began as personal grief has now evolved into a powerful platform for healing and advocacy with the launch of batangkali31.com.

The website serves as a digital memorial where survivors reclaim their narrative and continue to demand accountability for what they argue was more than just an unfortunate natural disaster.

“I think after the incident a lot was reported in the news, with opinions from various parties.

“Most of it was surface-level and didn’t really capture what transpired that night.

“This platform gives us a space to tell our side of the story and respond to the Public Works Department’s (PWD) report,” the website’s author, Loh Teng Shui, told Malay Mail in an interview recently.

The final report by the Landslide Working Group Task Force (JKKTR) found no strong evidence linking the landslide to human activities, saying that slope and road maintenance were carried out as scheduled at the site.

However, Loh and fellow survivors strongly contest this conclusion, insisting that human intervention — particularly land clearing and development — played a critical role in destabilising the slope, ultimately triggering the disaster.

“We believe multiple factors contributed to the landslide. It didn’t happen overnight. Among them were land development issues, road construction, inspection and maintenance.

“It wasn’t just the rain, as the PWD report suggests. If rain alone was the cause, why didn’t the entire area collapse? Instead, the road embankment gave way, while the forested area next to it remained intact,” Loh said.

A total of 92 people were affected by the landslide, with 61 surviving. Many of the victims were teachers, students, and staff from SJK(C) Mun Choong in Jalan Ipoh, along with their families.

A multi-agency search and rescue (SAR) operation lasted nine days, concluding on December 25, 2022, when the final victim was found.

“We also share stories about the victims and the grief their families endured.

“It’s not easy, but we hope that by telling these stories, we can help others going through similar experiences,” Loh said.

Loh and his wife, Tan Ei Ein, suffered one of the most heartbreaking losses — their only child, seven-year-old Zech Loh Qi Yi, died at the Father’s Organic Farm campsite.

Nearly three years later, they continue to grapple with a profound sense of injustice, fuelled by what they see as a lack of meaningful accountability.

“This wasn’t just a natural disaster caused by rain. It was an embankment failure with human factors involved, and there must be accountability for that,” Loh added.

Named after the 31 victims, batangkali31.com features seven personal stories of love, grief, and hope from survivors and bereaved families.

Loh said the goal is to ensure the tragedy is never forgotten and serves as a lesson for all.

He hopes more victims’ families will come forward to share their experiences over time.

“People often rush to help in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, but support fades as time passes.

“Grief is a long journey, and many families are still struggling emotionally,” Loh added.

The website also provides curated FAQs to educate visitors on landslide risks, offering insights into early warning signs and preparedness measures before, during, and after such disasters.

Loh encourages others affected by the Batang Kali tragedy to share their stories, and said he is considering featuring accounts from survivors of other disasters in the future.

“Sharing something so personal and vulnerable isn’t easy. But opening up about grief is part of the healing process.

“You are not alone in this journey. We are here to connect with others who have suffered similar losses and walk this path together,” Loh said.

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis is showing "slight improvements" as he recovers at home from five weeks in hospital with life-threatening double pneumonia, with his voice notably now stronger, the Vatican said Friday.

The 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church is also following the news, and offered his prayers for the victims of the powerful earthquake that hit Myanmar and Thailand, the press office said.

Francis left Rome's Gemelli hospital on Sunday, returning to his home in the Vatican for what doctors say will be at least two months of convalescence.

The Vatican said Friday he was continuing motor and respiratory physiotherapy and "his condition is improving, including his capacity to speak."

Before being discharged, the Argentine pontiff thanked well-wishers from a hospital balcony, his voice sounding weak and breathless.

It was his first appearance in public since he was admitted on Feb 14.

One of his doctors, Sergio Alfieri, previously said that with double pneumonia the lungs are damaged and the respiratory muscles are strained, so it can take time for the voice to return to normal.

The Vatican said the pope was using less and less high-flow oxygen to help him breathe, but still used it for part of the night.

Francis has not received visitors this week other than "his closest collaborators", it said. It added that he was "in good spirits."

For now, Francis does not intend to appear in public for his Sunday Angelus prayer, instead publishing the text, as he has since his hospitalisation, it said.

In a telegram published by the Vatican, Francis said he was "deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread devastation" caused by the earthquake in Myanmar.

He offered prayers for those who died – estimated for now at more than 20 people – and for emergency workers.

The pontiff also sent a telegram to express his concern and prayers following South Korea's worst-ever wildfires.--AFP

A Malaysian man living in Bangkok became an unlikely hero when he helped an elderly woman descend 40 flights of stairs after a powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and Thailand.

Khen Han Ming, 41, who lives in the tallest residential tower in Nonthaburi province, about 30 minutes from Bangkok, was on a call with his girlfriend when the 7.4-magnitude quake struck central Myanmar.

“I thought I was dizzy at first, that maybe it was my blood pressure, but then I saw the whole building swaying. Water was pouring down from the rooftop pool like a waterfall. It was surreal,” he told FMT.

Despite the panic that had set in, he managed to put on a pair of trousers and grabbed essential items, including his passport, wallet and phone, before dashing to the condominium’s emergency staircase.

As he made his way down the 57-storey building, he spotted an elderly woman and her daughter struggling to descend.

“She reminded me of my mum. I just couldn’t leave her there. She had a heart condition and was already praying and asking for help,” he said.

Khen stayed with the woman all the way down, occasionally carrying her when she was too weak to walk. “I don’t want to exaggerate and say I carried her the whole way, but I held her, supported her, and made sure she got down safely,” he added.

Parts of the ceiling were falling and cracks formed along the walls as they made their way down the stairs with many other occupants for over 30 minutes.

“It felt like being in a box on a ship, and the ship was swaying side to side,” he said.

Once outside, Khen said he borrowed a wheelchair to take the woman to safety at a nearby market, about 200m away.

Khen, who was recently laid off from his job, said the experience left a deep impact on him. “After all this, I just felt like crying. I told myself, ‘If I’m going to die, I want to at least die helping someone.'”

He said checks on his condo unit showed no major damage, though residents have been asked to report cracks or structural issues.

The massive earthquake, which struck about 55km southwest of Mandalay, Myanmar, caused several deaths across the region and toppled buildings in both Myanmar and Thailand.

Khen said his only regret in this whole ordeal was not being better prepared. “At first, I ran out in my underwear. I didn’t even think about grabbing shoes. This has taught me how unprepared we are for disasters like this. Everyone should have a go-bag near the door,” he said.