A devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand , leaving a trail of destruction and loss. In Myanmar, which bore the brunt of the damage, at least 144 people perished, with 730 injured, while in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, 10 died as a high-rise under construction collapsed.
According to various media reports, The quake’s epicentre was near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, followed by a significant 6.4 magnitude aftershock. The full scope of casualties and damage remains uncertain, especially in Myanmar, a nation gripped by poverty and civil war, where information is scarce.
In Thailand, a 33-story construction site near Bangkok’s Chatuchak market collapsed in a dust cloud, killing 10, injuring 16, and leaving 101 missing across three sites. Video footage captured panicked onlookers fleeing as sirens echoed through the city. Rescuers swarmed the wreckage, where twisted steel and concrete loomed overhead, rushing survivors to safety.
Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit called it a “great tragedy” but held hope for survivors. Bangkok’s transit systems halted, stranding residents in a metropolis of over 17 million.
Though earthquakes occur in the region, they seldom rattle Bangkok with such force.
Thailand says at least 90 people are missing and three are confirmed dead at the site where a high-rise building under construction collapsed when a powerful earthquake hit the capital.
First responders said that seven people had been rescued so far from outside the collapsed building.
, A powerful earthquake has rocked central Myanmar, causing tremors and aftershocks across hundreds of miles of south-east Asia. It toppled a building in Thai capital, Bangkok, and sparked a race to save civilians and infrastructure near the epicenter, reported CNN.
The quake hit near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city and home to more than a million people, but assessing the impact is difficult in a country in the throes of civil war, and where internet freedom has been throttled.
Myanmar has declared a national emergency while Thailand has declared Bangkok an emergency zone.
