Fri Mar 28 08:43:58 UTC 2025: ## 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Devastates Myanmar, Triggers Panic in Bangkok
**Yangon, Myanmar/Bangkok, Thailand –** A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, causing widespread damage and panic across the region. The quake, centered 18km from Sagaing, sent tremors as far as Bangkok, Thailand, and southwestern China, resulting in building collapses and injuries.
Reports from Myanmar detail collapsed bridges, buildings reduced to rubble, and cracked walls in historical sites. Videos circulating on social media showed a multi-story building under construction in Bangkok collapsing entirely, leaving at least 43 construction workers missing. Other footage captured the terrifying moment water from a skyscraper’s infinity pool splashed down dozens of stories, and chandeliers swaying wildly in a Bangkok hotel. In Mandalay, a residential building partially collapsed, with one section precariously held up by a neighboring structure. An old bridge over the Irrawaddy River also reportedly collapsed.
In Bangkok, while the damage was less extensive than in Myanmar, the tremors triggered a state of emergency. AFP journalists in Naypyidaw described the National Museum shaking violently, with pieces falling from the ceiling and walls cracking.
The earthquake also caused tremors in Kolkata and parts of Manipur in India, and Dhaka and Chattogram in Bangladesh. A 1000-bed hospital in Myanmar is reported to be overwhelmed, functioning as a mass casualty area.
Myanmar, situated along the Sagaing Fault, is prone to seismic activity. While the country has experienced significant earthquakes in the past, its strained medical system, particularly in rural areas, is ill-equipped to handle the scale of this disaster. The full extent of casualties and damage is still being assessed.
First Piper 