A powerful earthquake shook Thailand and Myanmar on Friday afternoon, sending people running from buildings and causing a high-rise under construction in Bangkok to come crashing down. The quake, measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale, struck around 1:30 p.m. local time, followed by a strong aftershock of 6.4.
In Bangkok, the collapse of the building near the busy Chatuchak market sent a massive cloud of dust into the air as panicked onlookers screamed and scrambled for safety. Police have yet to confirm the number of casualties, and it remains unclear how many workers were inside the structure when it gave way.
People across the city felt the violent shaking, with alarms blaring in high-rise buildings and thousands evacuating into the streets. Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, was inside a shopping mall when the tremors hit. “The whole place just started moving. At first, people tried to stay calm, but then panic set in. People were running down escalators the wrong way, things were falling everywhere,” he recalled.
The powerful quake originated in Myanmar, about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) underground, according to experts. The impact was felt beyond Thailand and Myanmar, with tremors shaking parts of China’s Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. In Ruili, a city near the Myanmar border, buildings suffered damage, and injuries were reported. Videos showed debris covering the streets and emergency crews rushing to help.
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Back in Bangkok, major roads became gridlocked as people flooded out of offices, malls, and homes. The city’s elevated train system and subway were temporarily shut down, and officials declared a state of emergency to streamline rescue efforts. At Benjasiri Park, crowds of evacuees stood anxiously, some desperately trying to reach loved ones by phone while others stared nervously at the swaying buildings around them.
Elsewhere in Myanmar, the damage was significant. A historic 90-year-old bridge in the Sagaing region collapsed, and roads between Mandalay and Yangon suffered major cracks. In the capital Naypyitaw, religious shrines crumbled, and homes sustained severe damage. In Mandalay, parts of the former royal palace were also affected.
Paul Vincent, a tourist from England, was sitting at a streetside bar in Bangkok when the shaking started. “One second, I’m sipping my drink, the next thing I know, people are screaming, running into the streets. Then I saw this high-rise swaying, and water was pouring down from a rooftop pool. That’s when it really hit me how serious this was.”
Bangkok, home to over 17 million people, is filled with towering buildings, and many residents described the terrifying sensation of seeing their surroundings sway uncontrollably. Zsuzsanna Vari-Kovacs, a Hungarian expat, had just finished her meal at a restaurant when the earthquake hit. “I’ve felt earthquakes before in Myanmar, but this one lasted so much longer. My husband was in a high-rise—can’t even imagine how that must have felt,” she said.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra quickly called an emergency meeting to assess the damage and coordinate relief efforts. The country’s disaster management department reported that the quake was felt in nearly every region, and authorities urged people to remain on high alert for possible aftershocks.
For now, Bangkok residents are left shaken, watching the skyline with wary eyes, wondering if more tremors will follow. Emergency teams continue their search for survivors, while those who experienced the terrifying ordeal try to process what just happened.
