A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar near Mandalay on Friday, sending tremors across the region and causing panic in major cities, according to Reuters. (Updated on 28 March at 3:05 p.m.)
The shallow quake depth of 10 km (6.2 miles) amplified the quake’s impact, followed by a strong aftershock, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The epicentre was 17.2 km from Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, causing panic in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, and Bangkok, the capital of neighbouring Thailand. In Bangkok, high-rise hotels evacuated guests, some running out into the street in bathrobes and swimwear.
At least 28 people have died in Myanmar and three in Thailand, while 81 people have been trapped after a skyscraper collapsed in Bangkok, according to local media.
Thailand’s Meteorological Department issued alerts, though no tsunami warning was triggered.
Myanmar sits on multiple active fault lines, making it prone to seismic activity. A 6.8-magnitude quake in 2016 killed at least four people.
