YANGON: A huge earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand on Friday, killing more than 150 people and injuring hundreds, with dozens trapped in collapsed buildings and the death toll expected to rise. The shallow 7.7-magnitude tremor hit northwest of the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar in the early afternoon and was followed minutes later by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock. The quake flattened buildings, downed bridges, and cracked roads across swathes of Myanmar, and even demolished a 30-storey skyscraper under construction hundreds of kilometres away in Bangkok.The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which struck at lunchtime, was of 7.7 magnitude and at a depth of 10 kms (6.2 miles). The epicentre was about 17 kms from Mandalay. The city, with a population of about 1.5 million, is Myanmar’s ancient royal capital and the centre of its Buddhist heartland. Buildings, bridges and roads were wrecked, residents and local media said.
State-run MRTV said on the Telegram messaging app that at least 144 people had been killed in Myanmar and 732 injured. “We all ran out of the house as everything started shaking,” a Mandalay resident told a UK-based international wire agency. “I witnessed a five-storey building collapse in front of my eyes. Everyone in my town is out on the road and no one dares to go back inside buildings.”
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said 144 people had been killed, with 732 confirmed injured, but warned the toll was “likely to rise”.
Eight deaths have been confirmed so far in Thailand, with more expected. “I would like to invite any country, any organisation, or anyone in Myanmar to come and help. Thank you,” he said in a televised speech, after visiting a hospital in the capital Naypyidaw. He urged massive relief efforts in the wake of the disaster and said he had “opened all ways for foreign aid”.
A rescue worker from the Moe Saydanar charity group said at least 60 bodies had been retrieved from the monasteries and buildings in Pyinmanar, near Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw, and more people were trapped. “This 60 is only from my charity group and only at Pyinmanar town,” he said. Myanmar’s military junta is locked in a struggle to put down insurgents fighting its rule, a situation that is likely to complicate the rescue and relief operation. Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city.
Now posted images showing a collapsed clock tower and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace in ruins. At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed. “We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot,” said a survivor. Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped. Video and images posted by Myanmar Now showed a roof cratered at a market in the capital, Naypyitaw. Witnesses contacted in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, said many people ran out of buildings.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations was mobilising in Southeast Asia to help those in need. Zin Mar Aung, the diplomatic spokesperson for the opposition National Unity Government, said fighters from the anti-junta militias known as the People’s Defence Forces would provide humanitarian help. Amnesty International said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid, and cuts to U.S. aid by the Trump administration. Restricted media access meant a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss might not emerge for some time, the group’s Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said.
Across the border in Thailand, a 30-storey skyscraper under construction collapsed into a tangled heap of rubble and dust in a matter of seconds. Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said eight dead bodies have been recovered and, with between 90 and 110 people unaccounted for, the toll is expected to rise. “We see several dead bodies under the rubble. We will take time to bring the bodies out to avoid any further collapses,” he told reporters. “I heard people calling for help, saying ‘help me’,” Worapat Sukthai, deputy police chief of Bang Sue district, told AFP.
As night fell, around 100 rescue workers assembled at the scene to search for survivors, illuminated by specially erected floodlights.
Visiting the site, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said “every building” in Bangkok would need to be inspected for safety, though it was not immediately clear how that would be carried out. An emergency zone was declared in Bangkok, where some metro and light rail services were suspended. The streets of the capital were full of commuters attempting to walk home, or simply taking refuge in the entrances of malls and office buildings.
City authorities said parks would stay open overnight for those unable to sleep at home. The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.
The quake was felt across the region, with China, Cambodia, Bangladesh and India all reporting tremors.
Pakistan expressed deep grief over the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar, Thailand and neighbouring countries. “Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this tragedy, and we are praying for all those affected as well as for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the foreign office spokesperson said in a press statement. Pakistan also applauded the courageous individuals and emergency responders who were working diligently on the ground to deliver rescue and relief efforts. “Their bravery and commitment during this urgent time are truly admirable.”
“We express our solidarity with the governments and communities affected during this challenging period. May strength and resilience lead those impacted towards healing and recovery,” the statement added. It said in light of the unfortunate earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand, the Pakistan embassies in Yangon and Bangkok will be available to assist Pakistani citizens in the event of emergencies. Additionally, the Crisis Management Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been activated to monitor the situation. For any assistance, the following numbers can be contacted: Parep Yangon Anwar Zeb (Charge d’ Affaires) +959880922880; Muhammad Shoaib (Counsellor) +959448999967; Ali Sher (Consular Assistant) +959457099977; Parep Bangkok Fahad (First Secretary) +66 95 968 1506; Yaseen (Consular Assistant) +66 91 697 7702; Crisis Management Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Islamabad Phone No: 051-9207887 Email: cmu1mofa.gov.pk