A series of six earthquakes, the strongest registering a magnitude of 7.7, struck central Myanmar at 12:50 PM local time on Friday. Tremors and aftershocks were felt across several neighboring countries, including Thailand, China, India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
The epicenters of the quakes were located northwest of Sagaing, at depths ranging from 10 to 30 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey. Local media in Myanmar have reported 20 fatalities so far, but aid organizations are concerned that the final death toll in Myanmar and other affected countries could reach into the hundreds.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as people rushed into the streets, with water spilling from an elevated hotel pool. In Bangkok, office towers swayed for several minutes, prompting mass evacuations. Hundreds of employees descended emergency stairwells, while some remained frozen in shock. Loud shrieks echoed as the buildings continued to sway. Outside, emergency personnel helped elderly individuals and others in distress. In Mandalay, Myanmar, social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris scattered across the streets, though official confirmation of casualties is still awaited.
Fatalities have been reported from a mosque in Mandalay, Myanmar, which collapsed while people were praying inside, as well as from a university in the same city, where a fire broke out. Additionally, a 1,000-bed hospital in Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar, has been converted into a “mass casualty area,” according to news agency AFP.
Strong tremors were also felt in China’s Yunnan province, with the China Earthquake Networks Center reporting a magnitude of 7.9. In addition, mild tremors were recorded in Kolkata, Bengal, and parts of Manipur, with a magnitude of 4.4. Tremors were also reported in Dhaka and Chattogram in Bangladesh.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as people rushed into the streets, with water spilling from an elevated hotel pool. In Bangkok, office towers swayed for several minutes, prompting mass evacuations. Hundreds of employees descended emergency stairwells, while some remained frozen in shock. Loud shrieks echoed as the buildings continued to sway. Outside, emergency personnel helped elderly individuals and others in distress. In Mandalay, Myanmar, social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris scattered across the streets, though official confirmation of casualties is still awaited.
