On Friday, a strong 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked Thailand and neighboring Myanmar, building skyscrapers in Bangkok and billiard buildings on Mandalay Island.
Thailand’s National Emergency Medicine Institute said at least one person was killed in Bangkok and dozens of workers were rescued from the ruins of skyscrapers.
Witnesses in the city said people ran to panic streets, many of whom were swimming outfits when their bathrobes and swimming costumes fell from the elevated pool of a luxury hotel.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake was magnitude 7.7 and had a depth of 10 kilometers. Then came the powerful aftershock.
The epicenter is about 17.2 kilometers away from Mandalay City and has a population of about 1.5 million.
The Myanmar military-run government declared a state of emergency in six regions.
Two witnesses from Taunton town in Bago region of Myanmar told Reuters that at least three people died after the mosque partially collapsed.
“When the tremor started, we were talking about prayer… the three died at the scene,” said a person who spoke with Reuters.
“We have started searching and checking for casualties and damages around Yangon. So far, we have no information.”
Social media posts from Mandalay, the ancient royal capital of Myanmar, are located in the heart of its Buddhist heartland, showing the scattered buildings and debris on the city’s streets. Reuters was unable to verify the positions immediately.
“We all ran out of the house when everything started to shake. I saw the five-story building in front of me collapse. Everyone in my town was on the road and no one dared to go back inside the building.”
Another witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop collapsed and there were several people inside. “We can’t get in,” she said. “The situation is very bad.”
A third witness said a mosque in the city was severely damaged.
China’s Xinhua News Agency said that the southwestern Yunnan province bordering Myanmar felt a strong tremor, but no reports of casualties.
Witnesses contacted by Yangon said many people ran out of the country’s largest urban buildings.
Meanwhile, Bangkok witnesses said a downtown office building swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows squeaking loudly.
Hundreds of employees filed lawsuits through emergency stairs due to some shock and panic workers freezing. A loud scream can be heard as the building continues to sway.
Outside, hundreds of people gathered in the afternoon sun, while staff with medical kits found the elderly’s office chair and were shocked.
