A powerful earthquake of 7.7 magnitude hit Thailand and Myanmar on Friday, killing at least three in Bangkok and trapping over 90 after a building collapsed in Thailand's capital. The death toll is likely to go up as rescue operations ongoing.
Several high-rise buildings collapsed in the jolt. A state of emergency was declared in six regions and states including the capital Naypyitaw and Mandalay.
Earthquake sum up 3pm (Mynamar/Thailand)
— Florian Witulski (@vaitor) March 28, 2025
- 7.7 quake hit near Mandalay/Myanmar
- Hundreds of homes collapsed (various Myanmar cities)
- Strong shocks in Thailand + multiple building collapse in Bangkok
- USGS predicts thousands of people dead
(Bangkok clips from social media:) pic.twitter.com/kJodTn6BIg
Adding to the challenges of the rescue teams, power lines were also hit. In Bangkok, a construction worker was killed when rubble from the building site collapsed and hit his truck and another was crushed by falling debris, rescue worker Songwut Wangpon told reporters.
Thailand's defence minister Phumtham Wechayachai said 90 people were missing and three were confirmed dead at the site when the construction building collapsed.
Devastation across the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, as a result of today’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake, with dozens of buildings having collapsed as well as the Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River. pic.twitter.com/8YE8KsxXws
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 28, 2025
Rescue workers say the rubble is still too unstable for them to try and find people possibly trapped beneath.
A dramatic video of the building's collapse near Bangkok's popular Chatuchak market circulated on social media. It showed the multi-story building with a crane on top toppling into a cloud of dust while onlookers screamed and ran.
Elsewhere, people in Bangkok evacuated from their buildings and were cautioned to stay outside in case there were more aftershocks.
The US Geological Survey and Germany's GFZ Center for Geosciences said the earthquake was a shallow 10 kilometres (6.2 miles), according to preliminary reports.
Bridges collapse in Myanmar
In Mandalay, the earthquake damaged part of the former royal palace and buildings. In the Sagaing region, just southwest of Mandalay, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed, and some sections of the highway connecting Mandalay and Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, were also damaged.
In Naypyitaw, the earthquake damaged religious shrines and homes.
The earthquake was also felt in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in China. According to Chinese media, damages were reported to houses.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra called an emergency meeting to assess the impact of the quake.
Panic and chaos
The sound of sirens echoed throughout central Bangkok and vehicles filled the street. The greater Bangkok area is home to more than 17 million people.
Recalling the horror, Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland said that all of a sudden the buildings began to move. "Immediately there was panic and a lot of screaming...Hundreds of people poured into Benjasiri Park from nearby shopping malls, high rises and apartment buildings," he said.
