A massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar on Friday at 12:50 PM local time, followed by a 6.8 aftershock.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake’s epicenter was 16 kilometers northwest of Sagaing city at a depth of 10 kilometers. Over 50 people are reportedly missing, with fears of casualties.
Read more: Massive Earthquake Shakes Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The tremors reached as far as northern Thailand, causing metro and rail service suspensions in Bangkok. China’s Yunnan province also recorded the quake at 7.9 magnitude. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has convened an emergency meeting to assess the situation.
Videos on social media capture swaying buildings and panicked crowds. Some clips show water sloshing from high-rise pools, while others reportedly depict a collapsing structure with clouds of dust and debris. Unverified reports suggest damage to the historic Sagaing Bridge.
Myanmar, located along the active Sagaing Fault, has a history of powerful earthquakes, including a 6.8-magnitude tremor in 2016 that damaged Bagan’s historic temples.
