- 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Myanmar
- Buildings Collapse, at least Four Dead, Dozens Injured
- Mandalay and Bangkok in Crisis, More Tremors Expected
A powerful earthquake has struck central Myanmar, sending shockwaves and aftershocks throughout Southeast Asia. The tremors toppled a building in Bangkok, Thailand, and triggered a frantic effort to rescue civilians and protect infrastructure near the quake’s epicenter.
The earthquake hit close to Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, which has a population of over a million. However, assessing the full extent of the damage is challenging due to the ongoing civil war and restrictions on internet access in the country.
Here’s what we know so far:
The earthquake struck at approximately 12:50 p.m. local time (2:20 a.m. ET), 16 kilometers (10 miles) north-northwest of Sagaing in central Myanmar, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). With a magnitude of 7.7, it ranks as one of the most powerful quakes to hit the region in recent years. Just 12 minutes later, a 6.4-magnitude aftershock followed.
At least three people were killed when a mosque partially collapsed in Myanmar, according to Reuters. In Bangkok, a high-rise building also collapsed, leaving at least one dead and several others injured, as reported by Thai authorities.
Passengers at Mandalay airport scrambled for cover, and residents reported seeing buildings collapse. As a major business hub, Mandalay is home to more than a million people and several historic monasteries that are central to Myanmar’s Buddhist traditions.
Hundreds of miles to the south, Thailand’s prime minister declared Bangkok an “emergency zone” due to widespread damage across the city. Authorities warned that more tremors could occur in the next 24 hours, urging people to avoid tall buildings and use stairs instead of elevators.
In the Chatuchak Park area of Bangkok, a large building under construction collapsed in seconds, killing at least one person and injuring 50 others. Rescuers rushed to save anyone trapped under the rubble, while workers at the site scrambled for safety.
People in the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi, which border Myanmar, reported feeling tremors. It is likely the quake’s impact was felt across the mountainous Golden Triangle region, which spans parts of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos.
Myanmar, one of Asia’s poorest nations, has been devastated by more than four years of civil war since the military coup in 2021. Internet access has been severely restricted under the military junta, making it difficult to gauge the country’s readiness to handle a disaster of this magnitude.
