A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked central Myanmar on Friday, sending shockwaves as far as Thailand and China. The quake’s epicenter was in Sagaing, near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, home to about one million people and historic temple complexes.
Videos posted online captured scenes of panic as residents fled swaying buildings, while dust filled the air and traffic came to a standstill. In Bangkok, nearly 700 miles away, buildings trembled, forcing people into the streets in fear.
One resident in Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial hub located 380 miles from the epicenter, described the terrifying moment. “We felt the quake for about one minute and then we ran out of the building. We saw other people running too. It was very sudden and very strong.”
Myanmar, already struggling with the aftermath of a military coup and ongoing civil war, now faces the added challenge of dealing with a major natural disaster. The country, one of Asia’s poorest, lacks the resources to handle large-scale emergencies.
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A bridge spanning the Irrawaddy River in Mandalay collapsed, plunging into the water in a cloud of dust. The destruction highlights the potential for severe infrastructure damage across the region, where travel by road or river is already difficult due to military checkpoints.
The earthquake’s strength was felt beyond Myanmar’s borders. In Thailand’s northern city of Chiang Mai, a resident described a sudden jolt lasting ten seconds. “I figured out I couldn’t stay inside, so I rushed out onto the street.”
In Bangkok’s Chatuchak Park, a partially constructed building collapsed within seconds, sending a cloud of dust into the air. Thailand’s National Institute for Emergency Medicine reported that 43 people were trapped inside, while seven others suffered injuries.
In China’s Yunnan province, tremors also shook buildings, adding to the widespread impact of the quake. As authorities assess the damage, residents across affected regions remain on edge, fearing aftershocks and further destruction.
Crediblenewsng.com
