(VOVWORLD) - A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, strongly shaking buildings across a vast expanse of Southeast Asia, and causing damage in cities as far away as Bangkok in neighboring Thailand, with tremors registered in Bangladesh, India, Laos, and China.
 A building is damaged after the earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, on March 28, 2025. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) |
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, struck at lunch, was at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The quake toppled buildings in neighbouring Myanmar’s second-largest city and caused the collapse of a railway bridge and road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, state media said. Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city.
In the town of Taungoo, at least three people were killed after a mosque partially collapsed. More than 20 children are also reportedly trapped in a school after the building collapsed, according to reports. Meanwhile, at least ten people have died after the earthquake hit Shwe Phone Shein Mosque in Mandalay.
Rows of wounded were treated outside the emergency department of a major hospital in the Myanmar capital Naypyidaw. Myanmar's ruling military declared a state of emergency in multiple regions, but has not confirmed the number of casualties.
Meanwhile, Thailand also suffered significant damage, with eighty-one people confirmed trapped after a building collapsed in Bangkok following the earthquake, a deputy prime minister said.
"It was shocking. I was at home when I heard a noise. At first, I thought it was just the washing machine. Many people inside had no idea what was going on," a witness at the site said.
Thailand has declared Bangkok a “disaster zone.”