The death toll after a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar on Friday jumped to over 1,000 Saturday, with over 2,300 injured, according to the country’s military rulers.
Rescue efforts for survivors are ongoing while dozens are reported missing. The US Geological Survey (USGS) forecast model estimates the death toll could exceed 10,000.
Geologist Josh Phoenix, told CNN on Saturday that the earthquake in Myanmar released energy equivalent to more than 300 atomic bomb explosions. The epicenter is located 16km (10 miles) north-west of the city of Sagaing at a depth of 10km.
Strong tremors extended into Thailand and Yunnan in south-west China, with videos on social media showing damage to buildings in Bangkok. A skyscraper under construction collapsed in Bangkok, following the earthquake in Myanmar. The building, which appeared to be under construction, fell in a matter of seconds, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Forty-three construction workers are missing after the earthquake caused the building in Bangkok to collapse, Thai authorities say.
Fifty people were inside the building near Chatuchak Park. Seven escaped while 43 others remain trapped, the National Institute for Emergency Medicine said in a Facebook post and Thai authorities have been seeking help from abroad to boost their rescue operations.
NEWS
Skyscraper under construction collapses in Bangkok, Thailand, following magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Myanmar.pic.twitter.com/BvQSZIHeNn
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) March 28, 2025
Videos posted online from both countries showed panicked residents running from swaying residential towers as dust fills the air, and traffic comes to a sudden stop on busy city streets.
Another aftermath video from Mandalay after it was hit by powerful 7.7 earthquake#earthquake #Myanmar pic.twitter.com/MUgIwctxm6
— Masood (@Masood9876) March 28, 2025
One resident in Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial hub and around 380 miles away from the epicenter, told CNN: “We felt the quake for about one minute and then we ran out of the building.”
“We saw other people running out of the buildings too. It was very sudden and very strong.”
Bui Thu, a BBC journalist who lives in Bangkok, said that she was at home cooking when the initial quake happened.
“I was very nervous, I was very panicked,” she says. “I didn’t know what it was because it has been, I think a decade since Bangkok had a really strong or powerful earthquake like this.”
“In my apartment I just see some cracking on the walls and water splashed out of swimming pools and people just yelling.”
Just experienced a 7.7 strength #earthquake in #Bangkok for close to 3 minutes. Its epicenter was Mandalay, Myanmar, over 1200 kms from here.
Despite the distance it swayed buildings; caused cracks, forced evacuations and rooftop pools cascaded much water to down below. Scary! pic.twitter.com/iIeV7WQWN6
— Joseph Çiprut (@mindthrust) March 28, 2025
Epicenter of the earthquake in Maynmar ravaged by the civil war as death toll rises
The epicenter was in nearby Sagaing region, which has been ravaged by the civil war, with the junta, pro-military militia and rebel groups battling for control and all running checkpoints, making travel by road or river extremely difficult.
A powerful earthquake, with 7.7 richter scale in magnitude, near the epicenter Mandalay, Myanmar. It causes the Ava Bridge in Myanmar and unknown 14 floors building in Thailand collapse. Pray for Myanmar and Thailand 🙏 #แผ่นดินไหว #earthquake #breakingnews pic.twitter.com/hX4908pQnd
— Aman Journalist (@edween88) March 28, 2025
Myanmar, one of Asia’s poorest nations and ill-equipped to deal with major natural disasters, has been ruled by a military junta since a coup in 2021, making access to information difficult. The state controls almost all of local radio, television, print and online media.
Internet use is also restricted, and communication lines also appear to be down, BBC reports.
Earthquakes are relatively more common in Myanmar, compared to Thailand.
Between 1930 and 1956, there where six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude near the Sagaing Fault, which runs through the centre of the country, AFP news agency reports, citing the USGS.
Thailand is not an earthquake zone and nearly all earthquakes that are felt there, which are rare, are in neighbouring Myanmar.
As buildings in Bangkok are not engineered for powerful earthquakes, the structural damage could be significant.