From Myanmar to Bangkok: How the earthquake’s shockwaves travelled over 1,000 kilometres
ByHT News Desk | Written by Lingamgunta Nirmitha Rao
Mar 30, 2025 11:25 PM IST
The shockwaves travelled to Thailand; tremors were felt across much of the country, causing the collapse of a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok.
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck near Mandalay in Myanmar around midday on Friday, killing over 1,700 people, causing widespread destruction, toppling numerous buildings, and damaging critical infrastructure, including the city's airport.
Rescue workers clear rubble on the top at the site of an under-construction building collapse in Bangkok on March 30, 2025, two days after an earthquake struck central Myanmar and Thailand. (AFP)
Rescue workers clear rubble on the top at the site of an under-construction building collapse in Bangkok on March 30, 2025, two days after an earthquake struck central Myanmar and Thailand. (AFP)
The quake resulted from the rupture of a 200-kilometre (125-mile) section of the fault, leading to extensive damage across central Myanmar, particularly in the Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway, and Bago regions and Shan State. Due to major telecommunication disruptions, information remains scarce from areas beyond Mandalay and Naypyidaw.
Also Read: Why was Myanmar earthquake so deadly? Scientists explain
The shockwaves travelled to Thailand; the tremors were felt across much of the country, causing the collapse of a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok, nearly 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) from the epicentre.
While Bangkok experienced strong shaking that prompted mass evacuations and a temporary suspension of public transport, overall damage to the city’s buildings and infrastructure was minimal compared to the devastation in Myanmar.
Also Read: Despite Myanmar earthquake devastation, junta continues to bomb rebel towns
The earthquake claimed 18 lives, including 11 workers who died when the Bangkok building collapsed. Dozens remain trapped under the rubble, and 33 others sustained injuries.
How did the earthquake’s impact spread so far?
According to the BBC, Rebecca Bell, a tectonics expert at Imperial College London, explained that faults—cracks in the Earth's crust—form to accommodate tectonic movement, allowing plates to "slither" sideways.
Earthquakes can originate from depths of up to 700 km (435 miles) below the surface. However, this particular quake struck just 10 km beneath the surface, making it very shallow, which intensified the shaking felt above ground.
Measuring 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale, the earthquake was extremely powerful, releasing more energy than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, as per the US Geological Survey.
Bell attributed the quake’s magnitude to the nature of the fault.
"The straight nature [of the fault] means earthquakes can rupture over large areas - and the larger the area of the fault that slips, the larger the earthquake," she told BBC.
She further noted that "there have been six magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes in this region in the last century."
Additionally, this fault's straight alignment allows energy to travel along its length, which stretches 1,200 km southward toward Thailand.
How earthquakes are felt at the surface is also determined by the type of soil
Bangkok's soft soil amplifies seismic waves, slowing them down and increasing their intensity, making the ground shaking more severe.
The earthquake also impacted parts of neighbouring Thailand, causing an under-construction skyscraper to collapse in Bangkok.
Rescue efforts entered their third day as emergency teams, using drones and sniffer dogs, continued searching for survivors. At least 76 people remained trapped beneath the rubble of the collapsed building.
Why did just one high-rise come down in Bangkok?
Dramatic footage from Bangkok captured high-rise buildings swaying during the earthquake, with rooftop pools spilling over. However, the only reported skyscraper collapse was the unfinished headquarters of the auditor-general's office in Chatuchak district.
Christian Málaga-Chuquitaype, a senior lecturer in earthquake engineering at Imperial College London, noted that before 2009, Bangkok lacked comprehensive safety standards for earthquake-resistant construction. As a result, older buildings were particularly vulnerable.
This is not uncommon, as constructing earthquake-resistant buildings is often more costly, and Thailand, unlike Myanmar, does not frequently experience major earthquakes.
Emily So, a professor of architectural engineering at the University of Cambridge, pointed out that older buildings can be reinforced, as has been done in California, western Canada, and New Zealand.
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