At around 12:50 pm local time on Friday, near Sagaing in central Myanmar, 6 earthquakes – the largest having a magnitude of 7.7 – shook the area, killing over 150 people and injuring hundreds, according to state-run broadcaster MRTV.
There were reports of wounded victims sent to a hospital in Naypyidaw, the capital, where there was a likelihood of becoming a mass casualty area, as stated to AFP by doctors there; other casualties were reported from a mosque in Mandalay that collapsed while prayers were being offered and from a university building in that same city that suffered a fire.
Uhuhd Junta General Min Aung Hlaing, who has warned that the number of dead is expected to increase, has declared an emergency and made a plea for aid, asking “any country and any organization” to step forward.
As far as northern Thailand, some metro and rail services were halted in the Thai capital. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra broke off an official visit to Phuket to hold an urgent review meeting, after which she too declared a state of “emergency” in that city.
Eight fatalities have been confirmed within Thailand itself.
In Yunnan province, China, the tremors were very strong; according to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the event’s magnitude was 7.9. Moderate tremors were also felt as far afield as Kolkata in Bengal, for which a maximum of 4.4 magnitude was recorded, along with areas in Manipur, Dhaka, and Chattogram in Bangladesh.
Tremors and aftershocks were also felt in Vietnam and Bangladesh.
As of now, no death has been reported from China or elsewhere.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India stands ready to provide all possible support and prayed for everyone’s safety and well-being on X, adding that he instructed the authorities to remain on standby.
Other European leaders also promised to get involved.
Scary Videos Of Bangkok Tremors
Videos on X terrifyingly displayed buildings quaking in Bangkok and various towns, with people rushing into the streets out of fear. “I heard it… I was sleeping in the house and then I ran as far as I could in my pyjamas out of the building,” Duangjai, a resident of popular tourist city Chiang Mai, told AFP.
In a particularly ghastly video, the water from an infinity pool tumbles over the edge.
Another showed the collapse of a 30-floor skyscraper still under construction in Chatuchak, Bangkok. Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai stated that 84 workers had been trapped.
“When I arrived to inspect the site, I heard people calling for help, saying help me,” deputy police chief Worapat Sukthai, told AFP. “We estimate hundreds are injured but are still determining our number of casualties.” At least three deaths were confirmed from this spot so far.
Destruction In Myanmar
A hospital in the Myanmar capital received “hundreds of casualties”, AFP reported.
Horrific visuals showed the entrance arch to the emergency department had collapsed onto a car, forcing medics to treat patients outside and on the road.
Meanwhile, an old bridge over the Irrawaddy River and several residential buildings also collapsed, with images from Mandalay (around 24km from Sagaing) suggesting dozens more may be trapped.
Other videos showed extensive damage to the airport in Mandalay and to a monastery near the city of Taunggyi, in Myanmar’s Shan State that is on the border to Thailand.
Rescue teams have launched extensive operations to search for survivors but the situation is dire, with reports of collapsed buildings and damaged infrastructure, particularly in the Mandalay region.
Roads between Mandalay and Yangon were also damaged and this has hampered relief efforts.
Myanmar’s Quake History
Between 1930 and 1956, six strong earthquakes of 7.0 or more on the Richter scale struck in the Sagaing Fault area-the country runs north to south.
In 2016, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 shook the ancient capital Bagan in central Myanmar and killed 3 people, besides toppling spires and crumbling temple walls at the tourist destination.
However, it must be mentioned that the majority of rural states have a very poor medical system.
Myanmar ready to accept foreign aid, following earthquake — PM
According to the latest reports from the ground, the earthquakes in Myanmar have left a death toll of 144 people along with 732 injured.
Myanmar’s head of government, Min Aung Hlaing, has confirmed that his country ravaged by an earthquake is ready to accept any outside help from “any country” and has already accepted offers from India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as reported by Reuters.
The news agency quoted him appealing to foreign countries through his televised address to provide assistance to Myanmar and further warned that the confirmed dead may increase as a result of the earthquake’s impact.
According to the latest reports, a total of 742 people have been injured, while at least 144 have perished due to the earthquakes hitting Myanmar.
The first earthquake struck on March 28 in Myanmar. Different sources now record the magnitude of this quake as between 7.7 and 7.9. It was followed by another strong quake, measuring at magnitude 6.4.
The disaster affected Thailand, where tremors were also experienced in China and Vietnam. In Bangkok, residents of skyscrapers are evacuated. According to the latest information, at least eight people have died and more than 110 are missing in Thailand’s capital.
With inputs from agencies
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