Powerful earthquake rocks Myanmar, Thailand, causes extensive damage

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Websites
28 Mar 2025 11:46

A powerful earthquake has struck Myanmar and Thailand, causing a skyscraper to collapse, trapping dozens of citizens inside.

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Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP)

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday, shaking neighboring Thailand and causing the collapse of an under-construction skyscraper in Bangkok, where a state of emergency was declared.

The epicenter was located northwest of Sagaing, Myanmar, at a shallow depth, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). A 6.4-magnitude aftershock followed shortly after.

Earthquakes are common in Myanmar, which lies along the Sagaing Fault. The country has experienced six quakes above 7.0 magnitude between 1930 and 1956, and a 6.8-magnitude tremor in Bagan in 2016 caused fatalities and damaged historic temples.

Experts warn that Myanmar’s rapid urban expansion, crumbling infrastructure, and weak medical system make its cities particularly vulnerable to major disasters.

Skyscraper collapse in Bangkok

In the Thai capital, a 30-storey government office building under construction crumbled in seconds, trapping 43 workers, authorities said. Footage on social media showed the site reduced to rubble and twisted metal.

"When I arrived to inspect the site, I heard people calling for help, saying 'help me,'" said Worapat Sukthai, deputy police chief of Bang Sue district.

Emergency responders estimated hundreds of injuries but were still assessing the total number of casualties.

In Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw, AFP journalists at the National Museum witnessed the ceiling collapse as the tremors struck. Uniformed staff ran outside—some in tears, others frantically calling loved ones.

Nearby roads buckled, causing traffic gridlock around a major hospital, which was declared a "mass casualty area." Medical teams treated the injured outside, IV drips hanging from gurneys as victims writhed in pain.

The tremors sent residents across both countries fleeing into the streets.

In Chiang Mai, a popular tourist city in northern Thailand, resident Duangjai recounted, "I was sleeping when I heard it. I ran as far as I could in my pyjamas."

Another resident, 76-year-old Sai, said it was the strongest quake he had ever experienced.

The earthquake halted metro and light rail services in Bangkok. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra interrupted an official visit to Phuket for an urgent meeting on the crisis.

Tremors were also felt in China's Yunnan province, with Beijing's quake agency recording a 7.9-magnitude jolt.