A massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar on Friday, sending shockwaves through Thailand and China, toppling buildings, and triggering widespread panic. The powerful tremor, centred near Sagaing, was followed by a strong 6.4-magnitude aftershock, shaking cities and forcing thousands to flee into the streets.
In Bangkok, alarms blared as high-rise buildings swayed, while in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw, roads split open and structures crumbled. As emergency teams rushed to assess the damage, chilling videos surfaced of collapsing buildings and terrified residents scrambling for safety.
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Videos circulating on social media captured the moment an under-construction high-rise in Bangkok collapsed into a massive cloud of dust, with a crane still attached to the top of the structure. Witnesses could be heard screaming as debris rained down. Rescue workers rushed to the site near the popular Chatuchak Market, fearing that dozens of workers may have been trapped under the rubble.
Footage from Bangkok also showed terrified residents evacuating high-rise buildings as water sloshed over the edges of rooftop pools. “All of a sudden, the whole building began to move, and immediately there was screaming and panic,” Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland told news agency AP. “People were running in every direction, down escalators, and out onto the streets.”
In Myanmar’s Mandalay region, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed, and sections of the highway linking Mandalay and Yangon suffered severe damage. Video clips shared online depicted cracked roads and frightened residents standing outside their homes. In Naypyidaw, the country’s capital, religious shrines were left in ruins, with parts of ancient structures crumbling to the ground. The National Museum was also affected, with ceiling panels falling as visitors rushed for safety.
A team of journalists inside the capital’s main hospital reported chaotic scenes as injured victims arrived. “The hospital has become a mass casualty area,” said one medical worker told news agency AFP, as ambulances weaved through heavy traffic. Outside, wounded people lay on stretchers, intravenous drips hanging from makeshift stands, while relatives anxiously looked on.
In Chiang Mai, Thailand’s northern tourist hub, people ran from shops and homes as the tremors hit. “I have never felt anything like this before,” said a 76-year-old local. “I just grabbed what I could and ran outside.” The Thai government declared a state of emergency in response to the quake, with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra cutting short an official trip to Phuket to lead an urgent meeting.
The powerful tremors also reached China’s Yunnan province, where the Beijing earthquake agency recorded a magnitude of 7.9. However, no immediate reports of casualties emerged from the region.
Seismologists have warned that Myanmar, particularly along the Sagaing Fault, remains prone to powerful earthquakes. In 2016, a 6.8-magnitude quake in Bagan caused significant damage to historic temples, and Friday’s tremor has once again raised concerns over the country’s infrastructure and emergency preparedness.
As rescue efforts continue in both Myanmar and Thailand, authorities are bracing for aftershocks and potential further collapses. Emergency teams remain on high alert, while residents across affected areas remain cautious, fearing more tremors could follow.
