A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, shaking the vast spread of Southeast Asia, causing damage in cities far from nearby Bangkok, Thailand. At least 13 people have died in Myanmar, and three have died in Thailand.
The earthquake struck around 12:50pm local time near Myanmar's second largest city, Mandalay, around 12:50pm local time. Aftershocks with a magnitude of 6.4 were recorded 12 minutes later.
The size of 7.7 is considered to be strong. At about six miles deep, the earthquake was relatively shallow, which increased the likelihood of causing violent shaking.
After the Mandalay trembling, the building was damaged and injured people were rushed to a major hospital. Dozens of patients in the hospital were forced to flee to a nearby parking lot. Many were still connected to intravenous drops and oxygen tanks.
In Mandalay, the earthquake killed at least 13 people and injured 200 people, according to doctors at Mandalay General Hospital. Also, Myanmar bridges and several buildings in Myanmar have collapsed, including Naypyidaw, the world's new light in Myanmar, a state-owned newspaper.
Details regarding the extent of damage and casualties in many parts of Myanmar were not immediately available. The country was destroyed by a civil war that began four years ago after the military took power in a coup.
In Bangkok, the streets were full of people who feared aftershocks and did not return to the building. The traffic was in a virtual outage. Some videos filmed the spikes from the pool and residential towers above a hotel in Bangkok.
A video verified by The New York Times showed the collapse of a 30-storey skyscraper under construction in Bangkok. The video showed construction workers and passersby running for safety, while other videos taken from the highway showed clouds of dust enveloping the area. Thai news reports explained that the building is the new office of the Audit General.
At least three people died in the collapse of the building, rescue workers said. Thai Prime Minister Paetong Tarun Sinawatra declared Bangkok as a “emergency area” and asked residents to evacuate from tall buildings to avoid aftershocks.
The shaking felt to be west of Bangladesh's Myanmar. Among them, the capital Dhaka, but there were no immediate reports of the damage. The earthquake also shook the Vietnamese buildings, including the capital Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city, reported the state news outlet vNexpress.
Saif Hasnat contributed to reports from Richard C. Paduk in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Bangkok.
Please show me more
