A Huge Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake Hit Myanmar And Was So Strong It Collapsed A Building In Thailand
The tremors also shook several other countries, including China, Vietnam, India and Bangladesh.
A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, March 28, killing at least 20 people, injuring more than 300, and causing major tremors in neighboring Thailand.
The earthquake hit Sagaing, which is about 20 kilometers from Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city.
The quake triggered a magnitude 6.4aftershock just 12 minutes later, according to The New York Times.
The earthquake severely damaged buildings, caused cracked roads and also led to the famous Ava bridge to collapse.
A hospital in Naypyidaw was overwhelmed, forcing doctors to treat injured people outside after the emergency department’s wall collapsed.
Humanitarian groups said power outages are making it difficult to assess the damage.
A rescue worker told the BBC that the damage is “enormous” and hundreds could be feared dead.
Myanmar’s military, which took power in a coup in 2021, declared a state of emergency in at least six regions and urged for international help, according to the BBC.
In Bangkok, the quake caused a 30-story building that was under construction to collapse, killing at least three people and trapping many others, according to AP.
A video on social media captured the moment the building collapsed in a cloud of dust as people screamed and ran.
The strong tremors made people rush outside their homes in panic and caused water to spill from rooftop pools.
The Thai government also declared a state of emergency in Bangkok and suspended metro and railway operations.
The tremors also shook several other countries, including China, Vietnam, India and Bangladesh.
Central Myanmar is near a region with frequent earthquakes, and Mandalay is in one of the country's four high-risk zones, according to the United Nations.
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Isha Jain
Isha Jain
