A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, strongly shaking buildings throughout an enormous expanse of Southeast Asia, and inflicting harm in cities as far-off as Bangkok in neighboring Thailand. At the least 13 folks have been killed in Myanmar, and three in Thailand.
The quake struck close to Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest metropolis with greater than 1,000,000 folks, round 12:50 p.m. native time, the USA Geological Survey stated. An aftershock of magnitude 6.4 was recorded 12 minutes later.
A magnitude of seven.7 is taken into account to be robust. At a depth of about six miles, the quake was comparatively shallow, which made it prone to trigger violent shaking.
After the tremor in Mandalay, buildings have been broken and injured folks have been rushed to the primary hospital. Dozens of sufferers from the hospital have been pressured to flee to a close-by parking zone. Many have been nonetheless hooked as much as intravenous drips and oxygen tanks.
In Mandalay the earthquake killed a minimum of 13 folks and injured 200 others, in keeping with a health care provider at Mandalay Common Hospital. It additionally brought on bridges and several other buildings throughout Myanmar to break down, together with in Naypyidaw, the nation’s capital, The International New Gentle of Myanmar, a state-owned newspaper, reported.
Particulars concerning the extent of the harm and casualties in lots of elements of Myanmar weren’t instantly out there. The nation has been ravaged by a civil warfare that started after the army seized energy in a coup 4 years in the past.
In Bangkok, the streets have been full of people that have been afraid of aftershocks or weren’t allowed again into their buildings. Visitors was at a digital standstill. A number of movies captured water surging from swimming pools atop accommodations and residential towers in Bangkok.
Movies verified by The New York Occasions confirmed the collapse of a 30-story skyscraper that was underneath development in Bangkok. The movies confirmed development staff and passers-by working for security, whereas different movies filmed from an elevated freeway confirmed clouds of mud engulfing the world. Thai information studies described the constructing as the brand new Workplace of the Auditor Common.
At the least three folks died within the constructing collapse, in keeping with a rescue employee. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra of Thailand declared Bangkok to be an “space of emergency,” asking residents to evacuate from tall buildings to keep away from aftershocks.
The shaking was felt west of Myanmar in Bangladesh, together with in its capital, Dhaka, however there have been no instant studies of injury. The earthquake additionally shook buildings in Vietnam, together with in Hanoi, the capital, and Ho Chi Minh Metropolis, the state-run information outlet VnExpress reported.
Saif Hasnat contributed reporting from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Richard C. Paddock from Bangkok.
