A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 struck the Thai capital, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) in Potsdam. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a magnitude of 7.4 in neighboring Myanmar, with some reports suggesting a magnitude of 7.7. The earthquake’s epicenter was located in the center of Myanmar, causing widespread panic and evacuations in Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar and Bangkok, the capital of Thailand.
The earthquake, which occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers, was reported to have struck 16 kilometers northwest of the city of Sagaing in Myanmar at 19:50 UTC, according to the USGS.
In Bangkok, alarm systems were triggered in buildings as the earthquake struck at 20:30 UTC, according to initial reports. The city of over 17 million people, with many residents living in high-rise apartments, was severely shaken. Videos show the collapse of an under-construction high-rise building in the Thai capital.
No reports of casualties or injuries have been released yet. The epicenter of the earthquake is believed to be in Myanmar, where extreme shaking was reported in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city with a population of around 1.2 million.
In Bangkok, the ground shook for several minutes, with people fleeing their homes in panic. Additional videos confirm the severity of the earthquake.
More information will be provided as it becomes available.