A powerful earthquake struck Southeast Asia on Friday, March 28, causing a skyscraper under construction to collapse in Bangkok and toppling buildings in Myanmar’s second-largest city. Thailand’s National Institute of Emergency Medicine reported at least one fatality, while dozens of workers were rescued from the rubble of the collapsed skyscraper. In Bangkok, panicked residents and hotel guests rushed into the streets, some in bathrobes and swimsuits, as water poured from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake registered a magnitude of 7.7 at a depth of 10 km and was followed by a strong aftershock. The epicenter was located approximately 17.2 km from Mandalay, Myanmar, a city of about 1.5 million residents. Myanmar authorities did not immediately release damage reports. A Myanmar Fire Services Department official told Reuters that search operations had begun in Yangon, but no confirmed details were available yet.

Social media posts from Mandalay depicted collapsed buildings and debris-strewn streets, though Reuters could not verify them. A local witness described people fleeing their homes as the ground shook, witnessing a five-story building collapse. Another witness, Htet Naing Oo, reported that a tea shop had caved in with people trapped inside, while a third witness confirmed severe damage to a mosque.

China’s Xinhua news agency reported that strong tremors were felt in Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but no casualties were reported. In Yangon, many residents evacuated buildings in fear. In downtown Bangkok, an office tower swayed for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking. Employees evacuated via emergency staircases, while some froze in shock. Outside, hundreds gathered as medical personnel assisted distressed individuals, including elderly evacuees who were given office chairs to rest.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.