Latest information on the strong earthquake in Myanmar (photo)

On March 28, earthquakes measuring 7.7 and 6.4 magnitude struck Myanmar. The tremors were also felt in China and Thailand.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the first, stronger quake struck central Myanmar on Friday afternoon at around 12:50 local time. The epicenter was located at a depth of 10 kilometers.

A second quake struck about 12 minutes later.

The epicenter of the quake was located 16 kilometers northwest of Sagaing City, near Mandalay, the country's second largest city. Its population is 1.2 million.


The area is located about 100 kilometers north of the Myanmar capital, Naypyidaw. AFP reporters in Naypyidaw reported that the strong tremors caused roads to crack and plaster to fall from the ceilings of buildings.

A Myanmar fire service official told Reuters: “We have started the search and are scanning Yangon [the country’s largest city] for casualties and damage. We have no information on this yet.”

A resident of Yangon told CNN that tremors were felt for several minutes after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

“The shaking was very strong and lasted for three to four minutes. The building where my house is located was shaking,” he said.

He said the internet was working without interruption, but for another 30 minutes after the quake, it was impossible to make phone calls.

A resident of Mandalay told Reuters of the devastation:

“When everything around us started shaking, we ran out of our houses. In front of my eyes, a five-story building collapsed. All the residents of my town are on the streets, no one dares to go back into the buildings.”

One of the witnesses, Htet Naing U, told reporters that a tea shop in Mandalay had collapsed, trapping several people inside.

“We couldn’t get in,” he said. “The situation is very bad.”

The Myanmar government has not yet reported any damage. The Mandalay Royal Palace was reportedly damaged and a bridge over the Irrawaddy River collapsed.

Myanmar's military junta has declared a "state of emergency" in the regions of Sagaing, Mandalay, Bago and Mawlamyine, eastern Shan State, and the capital, Naypyidaw.

Initial casualty figures

Thai Prime Minister Petty Officer Pheu Thai has ordered the Ministry of Home Affairs to declare Bangkok a state of emergency, CNN reported, citing the Prime Minister's Office.


According to local residents and the National Emergency Management Agency, the earthquake was felt throughout Thailand, including in the capital Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai.

A 30-story building under construction in Chatuchak Park in the Thai capital, Bangkok, collapsed after an earthquake. Initial reports said 43 workers were trapped under the rubble and seven others were injured.

The Associated Press reported, citing Thailand's defense minister, that three people had died and at least 90 were missing.

The Thai newspaper Khaosod reported that at least 300 workers were still missing.

A hospital in Mandalay, near the epicenter of the quake, confirmed to The New York Times that 20 people had died.


In addition, witnesses said that at least three people were killed when a mosque building partially collapsed in the Myanmar city of Taungoo. According to local media, two more people were killed in the city of Aung Bhan, where a hotel building collapsed, Reuters reported.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sitthipun reported that many skyscrapers in the city were damaged, but the exact number was not yet known.

Witnesses in Bangkok told the media that people panicked and ran out into the streets in bathrobes and swimsuits.

Videos showed water pouring out of a pool on the top floor of one of the skyscrapers onto the street due to the earthquake.

The Greater Bangkok area (the agglomeration includes Bangkok and five surrounding provinces) is home to more than 17 million people. Many live in high-rise buildings.

The Thai government has warned that more aftershocks are possible in the next 24 hours.


Chinese social media users reported strong tremors in Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, as well as in Guangxi province.

The information about the earthquake in Yunnan was also confirmed by China's Xinhua News Agency, but details have not yet been released.
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