A massive earthquake shook Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand on Friday, leaving many workers trapped in a collapsed skyscraper under construction in Bangkok, where a state of emergency was declared.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the 7.7-magnitude quake struck northwest of Sagaing in the afternoon at a shallow depth. Minutes later, a 6.4-magnitude aftershock occurred in the same region.
In the Thai capital, a 30-storey building that was still being built fell, entangling 43 workers, according to police and emergency personnel. The large structure, meant for government offices, crumbled into a heap of debris and twisted metal in moments, as videos circulated on social media demonstrated.
On the other side of the border in Myanmar, the quakes distorted and damaged roads, causing severe traffic congestion on the route to one of the city’s largest hospitals. Officials reported that the hospital had become a “mass casualty area” following the earthquake.
An ambulance maneuvered through the traffic, with a paramedic shouting for cars to clear the way so the ambulance could pass. At the 1,000-bed facility, the injured were being treated on the street outside, with IV drips hanging from their gurneys. Some were in agony, while others lay still, with relatives attempting to provide comfort.
The shockwaves prompted people to rush into the streets in both countries. The earthquake led to the suspension of some metro and light rail services in Bangkok, where Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced a state of emergency.
Earlier, she said that, based on a post on X, she had interrupted an official trip to the southern island of Phuket to conduct an “urgent meeting” following the quake.
Beijing’s quake agency reported that tremors were also felt in Yunnan province in southwest China. The jolt registered a 7.9 magnitude.
Earthquakes are relatively frequent in Myanmar. According to the USGS, the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the country’s centre, experienced six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or greater between 1930 and 1956.
