Asia’s 2025 in extreme weather and natural disasters, from deadly earthquakes to typhoons
From the deadly earthquake in Myanmar to tropical cyclones in the Philippines, Asia went through its share of natural disasters in 2025
1. ‘It’s like apocalypse’: Myanmar, Thailand quake death toll tops 1,600
The death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that rocked Myanmar and Thailand exceeded 1,600 on March 29, 2025, as rescuers in worst-affected Mandalay clawed chunks of debris with their bare hands to free the city’s trapped victims while ruptured roads, collapsed bridges and blackouts hampered aid efforts across a vast area of devastation.
2. Indonesia’s cyclone tragedy exposes lethal cost of forest destruction
Indonesia is facing renewed calls to curb deforestation and tighten oversight of forest concessions after a rare tropical cyclone tore across Sumatra, unleashing floods and landslides that have killed more than 700 people and left hundreds missing.
3. 6 cyclones, 5 weeks: Philippines can’t escape its endless cycle of disaster
Corruption, complacency and climate chaos conspire to turn the Philippines’ natural hazards into man-made tragedies.