7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Myanmar, tremors felt across Thailand

Naypyidaw:  A massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday with an aftershock of 6.4 magnitude just 12 minutes later.

Tremors of the earthquake were also felt in Thailand, some parts of northeast India and China.

According to the US Geological Survey, the epicentre was 16 km northwest of the city of Sagaing and had a depth of 10 km.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said the quake had a depth of 10km, with the epicentre near the city of Mandalay.

Many residents in the provincial capital of Kunming came or stayed outdoors to escape danger upon feeling the quake tremor. However, no casualties have been reported so far.

Li Zhihao, a resident of the city of Jinghong, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture bordering Myanmar, said he felt a tremor lasting nearly one minute.

Xinhua reporters in Yangon reported that the tremors were strongly felt in the capital Nay Pyi Taw and the largest city of Yangon.

Reports indicated that some buildings in the Mandalay Region had collapsed, and several roads between Mandalay and Yangon had been damaged and severed.

In Bangkok, locals were left running out of buildings and onto the streets in panic as the tremors first hit.

Terrifying footage appears to show the moment the strong tremors left a towering skyscraper crashing to the ground – leaving workers and locals running for their lives.

Following the earthquake, Xinhua reporters in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, and Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, reported that strong tremors were felt in those areas as well.

In Vientiane, buildings above three stories experienced noticeable shaking, with residents in high-rise buildings feeling intense swaying indoors.

Police and emergency officials are working tirelessly across Myanmar to find survivors and rescue anyone who may be trapped in their homes.

–IANS