Egypt Daily News – A 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck near Mandalay, Myanmar this morning has resulted in at least 144 deaths and 732 injuries.
Preliminary reports indicate that at least eight people have been killed in Bangkok, where a high-rise building under construction collapsed, according to a Thai government official. Thousands are feared to be dead as a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hits Myanmar and Thailand. Emergency authorities in the Thai capital, Bangkok, announced the rescue of 7 people and the death of two others after a building collapsed due to the earthquake that struck the country earlier on Friday.
At least 144 deaths and 732 injuries as a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hits Myanmar and Thailand. Thousands of people are feared to be still under the rubble of the buildings, which collapsed after a strong earthquake hit the capital, Bangkok.
Rescue worker Songut Wangbon told reporters that seven other people were found alive while speaking outside the tall pile of rubble that was previously a high-rise under construction.
The multi-story building collapsed after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the area at noon on Friday, causing a crane to fall to the ground and sending a massive cloud of dust into the air.
Myanmar declared a state of emergency in the capital and the second-largest city in the country on Friday after being hit by the earthquake, according to state media.
A state of emergency was declared in six regions and states in Myanmar after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake, which had its epicenter near the second-largest city in the country.
MR TV, the state television channel, reported that the government led by the military announced the emergency declaration, which includes the capital Naypyidaw and Mandalay, following the earthquake and a strong aftershock at midday.
Myanmar is experiencing a civil war, and many areas are difficult to access. The scale of the relief efforts the military will provide is unclear.
In Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, near the epicenter of the earthquake, the tremor caused damage to parts of the former royal palace and some buildings, according to videos and images posted on social media, such as Facebook. In the Sagaing area, directly southwest of Mandalay, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed.
Reports also emerged of damage in China, with Chinese media reporting that residents in the Yunnan and Sichuan regions of China felt the earthquake and sustained injuries and damage to homes in the city of Ruili, located on the border with northern Myanmar.
Damaged Buildings
The earthquake led Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to declare a state of emergency in Bangkok, where some metro and light rail services were suspended. However, airports continued to operate normally.
Earlier, the Prime Minister stated that she had cut short an official visit planned for the southern island of Phuket to hold an “emergency meeting” following the earthquake, according to a post on the X platform.
Several countries in the region felt the tremor, including China, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and India.
A live broadcast by “Beijing News” showed dozens of emergency workers in orange uniforms and helmets standing behind barriers on a street in Ruili City, near the border between China and Myanmar, where debris had fallen.
A woman working in a store, interviewed during the broadcast, showed a video recording of people running out of stores with their hands over their heads during aftershocks, only to return inside due to a nearby water pipe explosion.
A video shared on “Douyin” (the Chinese version of TikTok), which AFP was able to locate, showed a torrent of water and debris falling from the roof of a tall building in Ruili as residents fled through a market below.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that his country is ready to provide “all possible assistance” to Myanmar and Thailand, directing authorities to be on alert in case their help is requested.
Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, which has experienced six earthquakes with magnitudes of 7 or higher between 1930 and 1956 near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the country.
In 2016, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the ancient capital of Bagan in central Myanmar, resulting in three deaths and the collapse of temple walls in this popular tourist destination.
In November 2012, central Myanmar also experienced a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that killed 26 people and injured hundreds more.
Experts point out that the country’s weak infrastructure, lack of healthcare services, especially in rural areas, and unregulated urban expansion have made the population in populated areas more vulnerable to natural disasters.
