BANGKOK – A powerful earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday near a city of 1.2 million people and was felt around Southeast Asia, sending thousands of people in the Thai capital onto the streets in panic.
The magnitude 7.7 earthquake at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) was centered near the city of Mandalay, according to the United States Geological Survey. It was followed minutes later by an aftershock quake of 6.4 magnitude.
Social media posts from Mandalay showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets, with one user saying the city’s iconic Ava bridge had collapsed. Radio Free Asia has not been able to independently verify the posts.
An officer from the Myanmar Fire Services Department said it was beginning to check for casualties and damage, Reuters news agency reported.
The AFP news agency reported from Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw that roads were buckled by the force of the tremors and chunks of ceilings fell from buildings.
Witnesses in neighboring Thailand’s capital Bangkok said people ran out onto the streets in panic and water splashed out of swimming pools.
There are reports of people being stuck under the rubble of a collapsed building that was under construction in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok. Some metro and light rail services reportedly were suspended.
AFP said at least 43 workers were trapped in a skyscraper collapse.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said Friday she had interrupted an official visit to the southern island of Phuket to hold an “urgent meeting” after the earthquake, according to a post on X.
China Earthquake Networks Center said that tremors were felt in the Chinese city of Yunnan.
The Chinese foreign ministry said it was “closely following” reports.
Myanmar is prone to earthquakes, with six significant tremors of 7.0 magnitude or higher hitting the area between 1930 and 1956 along the Sagaing Fault, which stretches north to south through the center of the country, according to the USGS.
In 2016, a powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the ancient capital of Bagan in central Myanmar, killing three people and causing spires to collapse and temple walls to crumble at the popular tourist site.
Edited by Taejun Kang and Stephen Wright.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Staff.