Myanmar struck by 7.7 magnitude earthquake, tremors felt in Thailand

Alsharq Tribune- Ahmed Essam 

A strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday, causing officials to declare a state of emergency in Bangkok, the capital of neighbouring Thailand.

One person was killed and 50 hospitalised after a high-rise collapsed in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, Thailand's National Institute of Emergency Medicine said. There were still people trapped under the rubble of the building, it added.

Thai authorities have declared a state of emergency in response to the major earthquake hitting the city, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Friday. Damage was reported to buildings across the capital, including a high-rise building under construction that collapsed

A video circulated on social media showed the multi-story structure sway and crumble into a cloud of dust as onlookers screamed and ran.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake was shallow with a depth of 10 kilometres. Its epicentre was near the Burmese city of Sagaing, close to Mandalay. A second quake, with a magnitude of 6.4, shook the area 12 minutes later.

In Myanmar, the earthquake damaged part of the former royal palace and buildings near its epicentre. A 90-year old bridge collapsed in the Saigaing region, as sections of the highway connecting Mandalay to Yangon were damaged.

There were no immediate casualties reported in Myanmar, which is embroiled in civil war after a coup in 2021

The quake caused alarms to go off in buildings across Bangkok, and thousands of residents ran down the staircases of high-rise apartments and hotels onto the street. Videos on social media showed people gathering in the streets of the Thai capital.

The tremors were forceful enough to send water sloshing out of pools, some high up in high-rises, as the tremor shook.

More than 17 million people live in the greater Bangkok area, many of whom are in high-rise apartments.