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 20 people have been killed in Myanmar and three have been killed 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 approximately 11 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 left in abandoned ins and the injured people were rushed to major hospitals. 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.
Daw Kyi Shwin, 45, said her 3-year-old daughter had been killed. They were having lunch at home when the earthquake struck.
“As soon as it started, I ran downstairs, but I didn't make it in time,” Kyi Shwin said. “I tried to run to her, but before I could, the bricks fell on me too.”
She was bleeding profusely when she spoke outside the hospital. “There's no government to help us, there's no enough doctors to take care of us,” she said. “I'm going to die. I don't want to die. Please help me.”
According to Dr. Kyaw Zin of Mandalay General Hospital, the earthquake killed at least 20 people and injured 200 people in Mandalay. Also, Myanmar bridges and several buildings in Myanmar have collapsed, including Naypyidaw, the world's new light in Myanmar, a state-owned newspaper.
Myanmar is one of the most seismically active regions in the world. The magnitude 6.8 earthquake in eastern Myanmar killed more than 70 people in 2011 and crushed hundreds of buildings.
Details of the extent of the damage and casualties in many parts of Myanmar were not immediately available. The humanitarian group said they were trying to assess the situation but were struggling with the downturn in electricity and communications lines. The country was destroyed by a civil war that began four years ago after the military took power in a coup.
More than 600 miles from Mandalay, Bangkok's 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 Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Richard C. Paddock From Bangkok.
