At least 144 people in Myanmar have been killed and 732 injured after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck on Friday, state-run MRTV said on the Telegram messaging app, Reuters reported. Tremors were felt across the region, including in Bangkok, where a high-rise under construction collapsed, killing at least eight and leaving over 117 missing. The Thai capital has been declared a disaster area. Myanmar’s ruling military also declared a state of emergency in multiple regions. Myanmar’s ruling military general Min Aung Hlaing on state television said that he has invited “any country” to provide help and donations, warning there would be more deaths and casualties. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake had a depth of 10 km, with its epicenter located about 17.2 km from Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay, which has a population of about 1.2 million. An aftershock of magnitude 6.4 followed shortly after.
In Myanmar, multiple buildings collapsed, including Ma Soe Yane monastery, one of the largest in the country, and damaged the former royal palace and government housing in Naypyidaw. Roads cracked, a bridge collapsed, and a dam burst, leading to flooding in low-lying areas, news agency AP reported. In Sagaing region just southwest of the city, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed, and some sections of the highway connecting Mandalay and Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, were also damaged. In Thailand, authorities confirmed that at least three people died in Bangkok after a 33-story building under construction crumbled into a cloud of dust. Rescuers have pulled at least seven survivors from the rubble, but many remain trapped. Sirens blared across the city as emergency services scrambled to respond, and the subway and elevated transit systems were shut down, AP report stated.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos as buildings swayed violently, forcing thousands onto the streets. In Bangkok, people rushed out of office towers and malls, some running the wrong way down escalators in panic. Water poured from rooftop pools, and frightened residents stood in shock as aftershocks followed. A Scottish tourist in Bangkok recalled, “All of a sudden, the whole building began to move. People were screaming and running everywhere.” In Mandalay, social media posts showed collapsed buildings and widespread debris. Videos captured monks filming their monastery moments before it crumbled. The full extent of casualties remains unclear due to Myanmar’s ongoing civil conflict, which has made rescue operations even more challenging.
