Naing Tun Lin sentenced to five years over Sky Villa collapse in Myanmar earthquake

Court sentence for the Sky Villa collapse

The builder behind a block that collapsed during last year’s earthquake in Myanmar - killing more than 200 people - has been sentenced to five years in prison, according to media reports and a source close to the case.

Naing Tun Lin, who owns the construction firm, was sentenced on 23 June to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour for voluntary manslaughter, Eleven Media reported on Monday, citing a judicial source.

Confirmation and requests for comment

A person familiar with the proceedings confirmed the verdict today to AFP, speaking anonymously for security reasons.

AFP sought clarification from government spokespeople, the Mandalay Regional Court and Naing Tun Lin’s company - NTL Construction - but none of those involved in the case responded.

Background: March 2025 earthquake in Myanmar

In March 2025, a 7.7-magnitude quake killed at least 2,700 people in a country already engulfed in civil war following the 2021 military coup.

Death toll at the Sky Villa complex in Mandalay

Several floors of the upmarket Sky Villa complex in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, gave way, killing 206 people, according to the residential building’s management.

It was the highest death toll recorded at any single location, and the last bodies were recovered from the rubble in September.