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Fire after earthquake destroys more than 60,000 university entrance exam papers in Myanmar

TH (according to VNA) • April 22, 2025 18:45

More than 60,000 students in Myanmar will have to retake their university entrance exams after their papers were destroyed in a fire that broke out following the earthquake that shook the country last month.

Earthquake rubble in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 31, 2025

Myanmar media on April 22 quoted a source from the country's military government as saying that a fire broke out at Mandalay University in the city of the same name on March 28, shortly after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake flattened many buildings in central Myanmar. The fire burned down all the exam papers of nearly 63,000 high school students in the northern region that were being graded. The exam is scheduled to be re-held from June 16 to 21.

In Myanmar, the university entrance exam is considered an important milestone that determines the future academic and career path of high school students.

The earthquake on March 28 killed more than 3,700 people and flattened many buildings in central Myanmar, with Mandalay - the second most populous city - suffering the most damage.

According to the United Nations, more than 60,000 people are currently living in temporary shelters. UNICEF estimates that 2.7 million children are living in severely affected areas. Analysis by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shows that the ground in some places has shifted by up to 6 meters due to the impact of the earthquake.

TH (according to VNA)