Powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake hits Myanmar; tremors felt in Thailand
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Mandalay, Myanmar, on Friday, with tremors reaching as far as Bangkok, Thailand, and the northern city of Chiang Mai. Videos have surfaced showing widespread destruction in both countries. One clip captures an under-construction building collapsing in Bangkok’s Chatuchak Market, while another shows the iconic Ava Bridge, which connects Myanmar’s Ava and Sagaing regions, falling. No tsunami alert has been issued. Just 12 minutes after the initial quake, a strong aftershock measuring 6.4 magnitude struck Myanmar’s Sagaing region.
What we know so far about the earthquake
The earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand around 1:30 p.m. local time on Friday. According to the U.S. Geological Survey and Germany’s GFZ Center for Geosciences, the quake had a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), with its epicenter located in central Myanmar, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Monywa.
Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention reported that the tremors were felt in almost all regions of the country. According to AFP, at least 43 workers were trapped after a 30-story under-construction skyscraper collapsed in Bangkok.
The quake also caused damage to several religious shrines and homes in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw.
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Eyewitness accounts describe intense shaking
A resident of Yangon in southern Myanmar shared their experience of the earthquake with CNN.
“It was excessively shaky and persisted for three to four minutes,” the resident said. “The building where my house was became unstable.”
They also noted ongoing power issues in the region.
“Electricity is unavailable—but normally, we only have less than 12 hours of it on a daily basis,” the resident added.
Significant damage has been reported in Myanmar’s Sagaing and Mandalay regions.
Meanwhile, a resident in Chiang Mai, Thailand, also described their experience.
“I felt it for about 10 seconds in my room, then I figured out I couldn’t stay inside. So I rushed out onto the street,” they told CNN.