BANGKOK (AP) — A devastating earthquake struck Myanmar and parts of Thailand on Friday, leveling structures, demolishing a bridge, and breaching a dam. In Myanmar, the disaster left at least 144 people dead, with images and footage from two severely affected cities revealing widespread destruction. Meanwhile, in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, a partially built high-rise toppled, killing at least eight individuals.
The 7.7-magnitude tremor, centered near Mandalay—Myanmar’s second-largest city—hit around noon, followed shortly by a significant 6.4-magnitude aftershock.
The full scope of casualties and damage remains uncertain, particularly in Myanmar, a nation gripped by poverty and civil war, where access to reliable information is heavily restricted. In a televised address on Friday evening, the leader of Myanmar’s military junta reported that at least 144 people had perished and 730 others were injured.
“We anticipate the toll of deaths and injuries will climb higher,” said Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing.
In Naypyitaw, Myanmar’s capital, visuals from March 28, 2025, captured crumbled pagodas and a wrecked monastery following the quake. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Photos from Naypyitaw showed government buildings reduced to rubble, with rescue teams working tirelessly to free trapped victims.
Myanmar’s authorities highlighted an urgent need for blood donations in the worst-hit zones. Scenes of fractured roads in Mandalay, collapsed highways, and the failure of a bridge and dam underscored the challenges facing rescue operations in a country already reeling from a humanitarian crisis.
In Bangkok, near the bustling Chatuchak market, a 33-story building under construction—complete with a crane perched atop—crumpled into a heap of dust. A video circulating online showed panicked onlookers fleeing as the structure gave way.
Sirens blared across central Bangkok as traffic clogged the streets, paralyzing parts of the city. The elevated transit system and underground metro were halted for safety. Though the region is no stranger to seismic activity, quakes of this intensity are uncommon, and Bangkok—situated on a river delta—rarely feels such strong shocks.
In the Thai capital, a woman was photographed reacting in horror as rescuers combed through the debris of the fallen high-rise on March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
Rescue workers were seen carrying an injured person from the site of the collapse. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
April Kanichawanakul, an office worker in Bangkok, didn’t immediately recognize the shaking as an earthquake. “I thought I was just dizzy,” she recalled. She and her coworkers evacuated from their 10th-floor office and waited outside for clearance to return.
The collapsed building in Bangkok claimed at least three lives, with 90 others unaccounted for, according to Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. First responders reported rescuing seven people so far. Among the confirmed fatalities were two construction workers struck by falling debris, as noted by rescue worker Songwut Wangpon. The structure was being erected by China Railway Construction Corporation for Thailand’s government auditing agency.
Elsewhere in Bangkok, residents were urged to remain outdoors amid fears of additional aftershocks. Preliminary data from the U.S. Geological Survey and Germany’s GFZ geosciences center indicated the quake originated at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), amplifying its destructive impact.
Panic gripped the city as buildings trembled. “It started with a slight sway, but then the whole place shook violently—people were screaming and running chaotically,” said Fraser Morton, a Scottish tourist caught in one of Bangkok’s shopping centers.
Thousands sought refuge in Benjasiri Park, spilling out from nearby malls, offices, and residential towers along Sukhumvit Road. Some frantically called loved ones, while others huddled in the shade to escape the midday heat.
Voranoot Thirawat, a lawyer in central Bangkok, first noticed a swinging light fixture before hearing her building groan under the strain. She and her team dashed down 12 flights of stairs to safety. “I’ve never felt anything like this in Bangkok in my entire life,” she said.
The quake’s reach extended beyond Thailand and Myanmar, with reports of injuries and damaged homes in China’s Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, near the Myanmar border. In Ruili, footage showed debris-strewn streets and a person being rushed to an ambulance.
In Myanmar, the disaster toppled Mandalay’s historic Ma Soe Yane monastery and damaged the old royal palace, while a burst dam flooded low-lying areas. The military government declared a state of emergency across six regions, including Naypyitaw and Mandalay, though the ongoing civil conflict complicates relief efforts in a nation where millions are already displaced.
