Death toll rises in Thailand, Myanmar as Bangkok declared disaster area

Myanmar Thailand earthquake today LIVE: A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 struck Myanmar on Friday (March 28), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed. The tremor was powerful enough to be felt in neighbouring countries, including China, Thailand, India, and Vietnam.

The USGS reported that the quake’s epicentre was located near Myanmar’s central city of Mandalay, around 50km east of Monywa, and at a shallow depth of just 10km (six miles).

Impact across the region

Tremors reached as far as northern Thailand and the capital, Bangkok, which lies over 1,400km from the epicentre. Buildings in Bangkok were seen swaying, prompting hundreds of people to rush into the streets. Visuals posted on social media appeared to show a building collapse in the city’s Chatuchak district.

Some metro and light rail services in Bangkok were temporarily suspended due to the quake.

In China’s southwest Yunnan province, tremors were also felt, with Beijing’s quake monitoring agency recording the magnitude at 7.9.

The earthquake was also felt in Vietnam, and mild tremors were experienced in India’s West Bengal and Manipur regions, including Kolkata and Imphal.

According to sources cited by the news agency PTI, there have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties in Kolkata.

Earthquakes are not unusual in Myanmar. Between 1930 and 1956, six earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.0 or higher struck near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the heart of the country, according to the USGS.