Over 140 Dead as Devastating Earthquake Hits Myanmar and Thailand

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake has struck Myanmar, leaving over 140 dead and hundreds injured. Thailand is also impacted, with a collapsed building in Bangkok claiming more lives. Relief efforts are ongoing amid Myanmar's political turmoil.

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale struck central Myanmar, causing widespread devastation, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The earthquake has claimed the lives of at least 144 people, with 732 others injured, as confirmed by Myanmar's military leader, Min Aung Hlaing.

The earthquake’s epicenter was located 16 kilometers (10 miles) northwest of the city of Sagaing, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers. The tremors were felt as far as southwestern China and Thailand, causing panic and destruction in both countries.

In Thailand, 81 construction workers remain missing after an unfinished high-rise building collapsed in Bangkok, hundreds of miles from the earthquake’s origin. Authorities have confirmed that at least seven people died at the site, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. Thailand's Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, visited the scene and coordinated search and rescue efforts.

In Myanmar, the damage has been described as "enormous," with the death toll expected to rise in the coming days. Roads have buckled in the capital city, Nay Pyi Taw, and a state of emergency has been declared across six regions by the country’s military government.

The earthquake occurred near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, with a population of 1.5 million. Just 12 minutes after the initial shock, a second earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 struck south of Sagaing, adding to the chaos.

Residents in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, and neighboring Thailand expressed fear and panic as the tremors shook buildings not designed to withstand such forces. A resident in Yangon described feeling the tremors for an extended time, while Bui Thu, a BBC journalist in Bangkok, spoke of the fear she felt as the ground shook while she was at home.

Search and rescue teams have been mobilized in both countries, but efforts in Myanmar are hindered by the ongoing civil war, which began after a military coup in 2021. The conflict has displaced 3.5 million people, and the earthquake has only worsened the humanitarian crisis. The military junta has made a rare appeal for international assistance to aid in relief efforts.

The Sagaing region, close to the earthquake's epicenter, has been a key battleground in Myanmar's civil war, complicating efforts to deliver aid and recover from the disaster.