Hundreds feared dead as massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Myanmar and Thailand

More than 150 people have been killed after a powerful earthquake struck central Myanmar – with the tremors powerful enough to collapse buildings hundreds of miles away in Bangkok.

There are fears that hundreds more could have died, with the death toll expected to climb once the full extent of the damage in central Myanmar comes to light, with more than 700 people injured having already been reported.

In neighbouring Thailand, rescue teams were working through the night in an attempt to find the dozens of workers trapped after a partially constructed skyscraper collapsed.

Much of the destruction took place in Mandalay, which is Myanmar's second-largest city and lies about 17 km (10 miles) from the quake epicentre. The quake struck at a depth of 10km (six miles), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), whose models predicted that the final death toll could top 1,000. The main quake was followed by a powerful aftershock and several more moderate ones.

Mandalay, with a population of about 1.5 million, is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and the centre of its Buddhist heartland. Buildings, bridges and roads were wrecked, with rescue volunteers telling the BBC they were “digging people out with our bare hands” from under the rubble.

State television quoted the ruling military junta as saying that at least 144 people had been killed in Myanmar and 732 injured.

“The death toll and injuries are expected to rise,” the head of Myanmar's military government, Gen Min Aung Hlaing said, with the junta calling for international help to deal with the disaster.

Speaking at the White House on Friday, US president Donald Trump said he had spoken with officials in Myanmar and that his administration would be providing some form of assistance. “We're going to be helping,” he told reporters. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said USAID disaster experts were ready to help, including with items such as food and potable water.

Meanwhile the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said the United Nations was mobilising in southeast Asia to help those in need.

In Thailand, Bangkok city authorities said 10 people were killed, 16 injured and 101 missing from three construction sites, including the high-rise building.

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A rescue worker from the Moe Saydanar charity group told Reuters it had retrieved at least 60 bodies from monasteries and buildings in Pyinmanar, near Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, and more people were trapped. "This 60 is only from my charity group and only at Pyinmanar town," he said.

A 1,000-bed hospital in Myanmar's capital Nyapyitaw was among the buildings that also sustained damage.

In Mandalay the earthquake damaged part of the former royal palace and buildings. The 90-year-old colonial era Ava bridge, which connected Mandalay and Sagaing regions, collapsed into the Irrawady River shortly after the first jolt.

"We all ran out of the house as everything started shaking. I witnessed a five-storey building collapse in front of my eyes,” a witness told Reuters.

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“Everyone in my town is out on the road and no one dares to go back inside buildings.”

The Red Cross said downed power lines are adding to challenges for their teams trying to reach Mandalay and Sagaing regions and southern Shan state.

“Initial reports from the ground suggest the earthquake has caused significant damage,” the Red Cross said. “Information on humanitarian needs is still being gathered.”

The ground in Myanmar reportedly shook violently for around half a minute before settling. In the Thai tourist city of Chiang Mai, a resident told Agence France-Presse: “I heard it and I was sleeping in the house, I ran as far as I could in my pajamas out of the building.”

At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two witnesses said. “We were saying prayers when the shaking started ... Three died on the spot,” one said.

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Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with the Democratic Voice of Burma reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.

Army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left huge fissures on roads across Naypyitaw.

Amnesty International said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid, and cuts to US aid by Mr Trump’s administration.

Myanmar’s military junta is locked in a struggle to put down insurgents fighting its rule, a situation that is likely to complicate the rescue and relief operation.

Restricted media access meant a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss might not emerge for some time, the group's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said.

Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.

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In Thailand, witnesses in Bangkok said people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel.

Thailand’s prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Friday afternoon that Bangkok was an “emergency zone”. The Thai department of disaster prevention said the quake was felt in almost all parts of the country.

Bangkok’s metro system suspended all services, while the stock exchange halted trading for Friday.

Zsuzsanna Vari-Kovacs, a Hungarian resident of Bangkok, said: “I have experienced earthquakes twice before in Myanmar, but that was only one second, one big bang, but here it went on for at least, I’d say, a minute. My husband was in a high-rise, I think that's even worse.”

Voranoot Thirawat, a lawyer working in central Bangkok, said her first indication that something was wrong came when she saw a light swinging back and forth. Then she heard the building creaking, and she and her colleagues fled down 12 flights of stairs.

“In my lifetime, there was no earthquake like this in Bangkok,” she said.

The tremors were also felt in Laos and China on the eastern side of Myanmar and parts of India.

The earthquake “looks to have occurred on the major Sagaing Fault, which marks the boundary between two tectonic plates, and which runs north–south close to a number of large population centres,” said Bill McGuire, Professor Emeritus of Geophysical & Climate Hazards, University College London.

“This is probably the biggest earthquake on the Myanmar mainland in decades, and a combination of size and very shallow depth will maximise the chances of damage.

“It is highly likely that build quality will generally not be high enough to survive this level of shaking, and casualty numbers will almost certainly climb significantly as more becomes known of the scale of the disaster.”

Myanmar has witnessed six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or more, which struck between 1930 and 1956 near the Sagaing Fault. A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake in the ancient capital Bagan killed three people in 2016 and crumbled temple walls at the popular tourist destination.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi expressed “concern” over the trail of destruction after the earthquake. “India stands ready to offer all possible assistance. In this regard, asked our authorities to be on standby,” Mr Modi said on X.

Thailand is one of most favoured tourist destinations for Indians in South Asia. “Also asked the MEA [Ministry of External Affairs] to remain in touch with the Governments of Myanmar and Thailand,” the prime minister added.

Additional reporting by agencies