28 March 2025, 23:56
Over 10,000 are feared to have died in the Myanmar earthquake
Over 10,000 are feared to have died in the Myanmar earthquake. Picture: Getty
By Henry Moore
A desperate race against time is on as emergency workers in Myanmar and Thailand scramble to find survivors after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday.
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At least 144 people have been confirmed dead, with fears thousands more could be discovered in coming hours, after the earthquake hit Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, at around 6.20 UK time.
The US Geological Society (USGS), which first recorded the 7.7 quake, estimated deaths at between 10,000 and 100,000. Economic damage was pegged at as much as 70% of Myanmar's GDP - which would mean about $36 billion.
"The death toll and injuries are expected to rise," Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said on television.
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USGS' estimate of the death toll
USGS' estimate of the death toll. Picture: US Geological Survey
Royal Thai Army expedites rescue operations in Bangkok after Myanmar rocked by powerful earthquakes
Royal Thai Army expedites rescue operations in Bangkok after Myanmar rocked by powerful earthquakes. Picture: Getty
The earthquake's epicentre was ten miles northwest of the Burmese city of Sagaing. Sagaing is near Mandalay, which has a population of around 1.2 million.
A second earthquake - smaller but still large - of 6.4 on the Richter scale took place a few minutes after the first.
Neighbouring Thailand was rocked by the earthquake, with footage online showing high-rise building collapsing onto construction workers, leaving nothing but rubble in its place.
Buildings in five cities and towns collapsed across Myanmar, state media reports.
"All of a sudden the whole building began to move, immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic," said Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, who was in one of Bangkok's many centres shopping for camera equipment.
Patients lie on beds in the compound of Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok
Patients lie on beds in the compound of Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok. Picture: Getty
"I just started walking calmly at first but then the building started really moving, yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running the wrong way down the escalators, lots of banging and crashing inside the mall."
Like thousands of others in downtown Bangkok, Mr Morton sought refuge in Benjasiri Park, away from the tall buildings.
Strong Quake Rattles Myanmar and Bangkok, Thailand
A powerful earthquake, estimated between 6.9 and 7.7 magnitude, struck central Myanmar near Monywa.
Tremors shook buildings in Bangkok, prompting evacuations. The quake is rare for the region, raising concerns in the densely… pic.twitter.com/kpO328dplR
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 28, 2025
"I got outside and then looked up at the building and the whole building was moving, dust and debris, it was pretty intense," he said. "Lots of chaos."
Alarms went off in buildings as the earthquake hit around 1.30pm local time, and startled residents were evacuated down staircases of high-rise buildings and hotels in densely populated central Bangkok.
They remained in the streets, seeking shade from the midday sun in the minutes after the quake.
Rescue teams are seen at a construction site where a building collapsed in Bangkok on March 28, 2025, after an earthquake.
Rescue teams are seen at a construction site where a building collapsed in Bangkok on March 28, 2025, after an earthquake. Picture: Getty
Damaged pagodas are seen after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Damaged pagodas are seen after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo). Picture: Alamy
The quake was forceful enough to send water sloshing out of pools, some high up in high-rises, as the tremor shook.
Myanmar is in the middle of a civil war.
In the capital Naypyitaw, the earthquake damaged religious shrines, sending parts toppling to the ground, and some homes.
In Mandalay, the country's second-largest city and close to the epicentre, the earthquake damaged part of the former royal palace and buildings, according to videos and photos released on Facebook.
All flights in and out of Bangkok are operating normally as of Friday night, officials confirmed.