The quake was forceful enough to turn buildings into rubble and send water sloshing out of pools
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A massive earthquake of 7.7 magnitude struck Myanmar on Friday, with equally strong tremors rocking the neighbouring Southeast Asian country of Thailand.
The quake struck at a depth of 10km, about 17.2km from the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, which has a population of 1.2 million people, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
There was no immediate report on casualties from Myanmar after the quake, but the strong jolt forced hundreds of people in the Thai capital of Bangkok to rush out of buildings in panic. The quake was forceful enough to send water sloshing out of pools.
open image in gallery
(AP)
A high-rise building under construction collapsed due to the earthquake in Bangkok, the police said, adding that the possible casualties were not immediately known.
Myanmar’s Fire Services Department said: "We have started the search and going around Yangon to check for casualties and damage. So far, we have no information yet."
The country is currently in the midst of a bloody civil war, which ensued following the military’s coup in February 2021.
Social media posts from Mandalay City showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets. "We all ran out of the house as everything started shaking. I witnessed a five-storey building collapse in front of my eyes,” a witness told Reuters.
“Everyone in my town is out on the road and no one dares to go back inside buildings."
A 7.7 earthquake rocked Myanmaropen image in gallery
A 7.7 earthquake rocked Myanmar (The Independent/ Datawrapper)
The ground in Myanmar reportedly vibrated violently for around half a minute before settling. In the Thai tourist city of Chiang Mai, a resident told AFP news agency: “I heard it and I was sleeping in the house, I ran as far as I could in my pajamas out of the building.”
Thailand’s prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said she had interrupted an official visit to the southern island of Phuket to hold an “urgent meeting” after the earthquake. The Thai department of disaster prevention said the quake was felt in almost all parts of the country.
The tremors were also felt in Laos and China on the eastern side of Myanmar and parts of India.
Myanmar has witnessed six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or more, which struck between 1930 and 1956 near the Sagaing Fault. A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake in the ancient capital Bagan killed three people in 2016 and crumbbled temple walls at the popular tourist destination.
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