Strong earthquake jolted Myanmar. Tremors from the quake were felt in Bangkok
The quake was of 7.7 magnitude, the US Geological Survey said
AMN / WEB DESK
Two back-to-back earthquakes of magnitudes 7.7 and 6.4 struck Myanmar on Friday, with strong tremors felt in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, which has declared an emergency. Strong aftershocks were also felt in Meghalaya and several northeastern states of India, Bangladesh, and China’s southwest Yunnan province.
Such was the impact of the earthquake that it flattened a high-rise in Bangkok, around 900 km away, trapping over 40 workers. The tremors forced people to run out of their homes, and sent water sloshing out of pools from high-rises.
The iconic Ava Bridge in Myanmar’s Mandalay reportedly collapsed into the Irrawaddy River and several buildings crumbled due to the massive quakes, whose epicentre was near Sagaing.
The US Geological Survey and Germany’s GFZ center for geosciences also reported that the shallow earthquake had an epicenter in Myanmar at a depth of 10 kilometers, based on preliminary assessments.
A high-rise under construction in Bangkok collapsed after earthquake struck Thailand and Myanmar on Friday causing widespread panic. A dramatic video circulating on social media showed the multi-story building, with a crane on top, collapsing into a cloud of dust as onlookers fled in fear. Police are at the scene near Chatuchak Market, but it’s unclear how many workers were present at the time. The earthquake, followed by a 6.4 magnitude aftershock, prompted evacuations in Bangkok, with people advised to stay outdoors in case of further tremors.
Witnesses said people ran out into the streets of Bangkok after feeling the powerful tremors. Water splashed out of swimming pools, witnesses added.
A highrise building under construction collapsed in Bangkok due to the earthquake, police told the Associated Press news agency. The French AFP news agency cited medics as saying 43 workers were trapped.
The 30-storey skyscraper was a government offices work in progress in the north of the Thai capital, AFP added.
“When I arrived to inspect the site, I heard people calling for help, saying help me,” Worapat Sukthai, deputy police chief of Bang Sue district, told AFP. “We estimate that hundreds of people are injured but we are still determining the number of casualties,” he said.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying that the tremor caused damage to many high-rise buildings in the Thai capital, with inspections underway to find out the number of buildings affected. The governor urged caution.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed concern over the devastating earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand, and said India stands ready to offer all possible assistance to the two countries. The earthquake has rocked many parts of Thailand, including its capital Bangkok, the venue for next week’s summit of BIMSTEC regional grouping that is scheduled to be attended by Modi among other leaders. “Concerned by the situation in the wake of the Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand. Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone,” Modi said on ‘X’. “India stands ready to offer all possible assistance. In this regard, asked our authorities to be on standby. Also asked the MEA to remain in touch with the Governments of Myanmar and Thailand,” he said.