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The highly anticipated Southeast Asia Blockchain Week, an event aimed at "Bridging Web3 Innovations in Southeast Asia," scheduled to take place from March 30th to April 5th, 2025, has been cancelled.
Organizers announced the cancellation on Monday, citing the recent devastating earthquake in the Myanmar-Thailand region as the reason for the decision.
— Southeast Asia Blockchain Week (@SEABWofficial) March 29, 2025
"As a Web3 conference representing the Southeast Asian region, we stand in solidarity with those affected and extend our deepest condolences. Out of respect for the victims and ongoing concerns around safety due to potential aftershocks, we believe this is the most responsible course of action," organizers said in a statement posted on the event's website and Twitter page.
The cancellation comes in the wake of a powerful Mw 7.7 earthquake that struck the Sagaing Region of Myanmar on March 28, 2025, at 12:50:54 MMT (06:20:54 UTC). The earthquake's epicenter was located near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city.
The earthquake is considered the most powerful to hit Myanmar since 1912 and the second deadliest in the country's modern history, only exceeded by upper estimates of the 1930 Bago earthquake. The seismic event caused widespread damage in Myanmar and significant damage in neighboring Thailand, with hundreds of homes also damaged in Yunnan, China.
Tragically, the earthquake has resulted in a significant loss of life, with reports indicating more than 2,900 deaths in Myanmar and 18 in Thailand. Over 3,400 individuals have been reported injured, and hundreds remain missing.
The skyscraper collapsed in Bangkok, Thailand is the Budget Bureau building constructed by CR10g, a subsidiary of state owned China Railway Engineering Corporation. At least 3 dead and 81 people remain trapped at scene. pic.twitter.com/OMaMEPsFRi
— The Great Translation Movement 大翻译运动 (@TGTM_Official) March 28, 2025
In Bangkok, Thailand, a collapsed construction site highlighted the city's vulnerability to seismic waves due to its shallow geology, increasing its susceptibility to earthquake-related impacts. Authorities in both Myanmar and Thailand have declared a state of emergency, and concerns remain that the death toll may rise further. The ongoing civil war in Myanmar has further complicated disaster relief efforts and information dissemination.
Conference organizers have assured attendees that full refunds will be issued within 1-2 weeks. They also plan to organize a community meetup for those who have already arrived in Bangkok for the event.
