The first shipments of international aid arrived at the airport in the former capital, Yangon. They came from neighboring China and from India and included search and rescue and medical teams, as well as blankets, and other provisions.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was a shallow 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), with an epicenter in Myanmar, according to preliminary reports.
A husband and wife among the dead had invested money with two of the others, suggesting that money could be a motive, police said. The investment was intended to build a hospital in Japan.