28 March 2025 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): Earthquake today LIVE: A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, causing roads to buckle in the capital Naypyidaw and sending tremors as far as China, Thailand and parts of India as well. The Myanmar earthquake’s epicenter was located 16 kilometers (10 miles) northwest of the city of Sagaing, at a depth of 10 kilometers, around 12:50 pm local time (0620 GMT), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
While the extent of damage or casualties in Myanmar is not yet clear, a doctor in a hospital at the capital, Naypyidaw, said that at least 20 people were confirmed dead.
Across the border in Thailand, three people were confirmed dead in the collapse of a skyscraper, with 81 more missing and believed trapped in the twisted metal and rubble of the under-construction building.
Myanmar earthquake | Key points
– Tremors were also felt throughout northern Thailand and down to Bangkok, where residents fled to the streets as buildings shook. Visuals shared on social media showed a building collapse in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district.
– Due to the tremors, some metro and light rail services were suspended in Thailand’s Bangkok. Jolts of the Myanmar earthquake were also felt in Vietnam.
– Tremors were also felt in China’s southwest Yunnan province, with Beijing’s quake agency reporting the jolt as a 7.9 magnitude earthquake.
– Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where between 1930 and 1956, six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or higher struck near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the center of the country, according to the USGS.
– Mild tremors were felt in West Bengal’s Kolkata and Manipur’s Imphal as well after the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar. According to official sources cited by news agency PTI, there have been no reports of damage to property or loss of life in the city due to the tremor.
Earthquake today LIVE: Pope Francis offers prayers for quake-stricken Southeast Asia
Earthquake today LIVE: Pope Francis offered prayers to the victims of a powerful earthquake in Southeast Asia on Friday, the Vatican said.
“The pope has been informed of the disaster in Myanmar and is praying for the dramatic situation and for the many victims, also in Thailand,’’ the Vatican said, according to AP.
Earthquake today LIVE: Buildings and bridges in Myanmar collapse
Earthquake today LIVE: The earthquake caused the collapse of buildings in five cities and towns, as well as a railway bridge and a road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, Reuters reports, citing Myanmar’s state media.
The Red Cross has also said that roads, bridges and buildings have been damaged in Myanmar and has expressed concerns over the state of large dams.
Earthquake today LIVE: Eyewitnesses reveal ‘horrendous’ ordeal
Earthquake today LIVE: Witnesses in Bangkok said people ran out onto the streets in panic as buildings shook and alarms went off.
“All of a sudden, the whole building began to move, immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic,” Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, who was in one of Bangkok’s many malls, told Reuters.
“I just started walking calmly at first, but then the building started moving, yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running the wrong way down the escalators, lots of banging and crashing inside the mall,” Morton added.
Earthquake today LIVE: At least 20 killed in Myanmar
About 20 people have died at a major hospital in Myanmar’s Naypyidaw after a huge earthquake hit the country earlier today, a doctor told AFP.
“About 20 people died after they arrived at our hospital so far. Many people were injured,” said the doctor at the 1,000-bed general hospital in Naypyidaw, on condition of anonymity.
Earthquake today LIVE: Telecommunication system disrupted in Thailand
Earthquake today LIVE: Thai deputy PM Prasert Jantararuangtong says the country’s telecommunication system has been disrupted after the earthquake, reports Bloomberg. Thailand’s transport ministry has also ordered the suspension of public transportation services, including buses and electric trains.
Earthquake today LIVE: ‘Damage is enormous,’ says rescuer in Myanmar
Earthquake today LIVE: A member of a rescue team based in Myanmar’s Mandalay city tells the BBC that the damage due to the earthquake is enormous.
“The number of deaths is also quite high. That’s all we can say right now because the rescue efforts are ongoing,” the rescuer said. “The exact number of casualties is not yet known, but it is at least in the hundreds.”
Earthquake today LIVE: Red cross says public infrastructure damaged in Myanmar
Earthquake today LIVE: According to the Red Cross, buildings and public infrastructure have been damaged and collapsed in Myanmar due to the earthquake.
“Public infrastructure has been damaged, including roads, bridges and public buildings. We currently have concerns for large-scale dams that people are watching to see the conditions of them”, Marie Manrique, Program Coordinator for the International Federation of the Red Cross, says, according to Reuters.
Earthquake today LIVE: Indian embassy in Bangkok issues helpline number
Earthquake today LIVE: The Indian embassy in Bangkok has issued an emergency number – +66 618819218 – for Indian nationals in Thailand, which they can use in case of any emergency.
The embassy said it is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the Thai authorities.
“After powerful earthquake tremors recorded in Bangkok and in other parts of Thailand, the Embassy is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the Thai authorities. So far, no untoward incident involving any Indian citizen has been reported…All members of the Indian Embassy in Bangkok and Consulate in Chiang Mai are safe,” it adds.
Summary: A 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar has killed 20 people and caused widespread destruction.