Fri Mar 28 07:30:00 UTC 2025: **Strong 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Myanmar, Shakes Bangkok; Building Collapse Reported**

BANGKOK (AP) — A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday afternoon, sending tremors through Thailand and causing significant alarm in Bangkok, where buildings swayed and evacuations took place. A subsequent 6.4 magnitude earthquake followed twelve minutes later. The shallow quakes, which occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey and Germany’s GFZ, prompted widespread panic among the 17 million residents of the greater Bangkok area.

Reports from Bangkok describe buildings swaying violently, water sloshing over the sides of rooftop pools, and debris falling from structures. Dramatic social media footage appears to show a high-rise building under construction collapsing near Chatuchak Market. Bangkok police confirmed they are responding to the scene but have yet to provide casualty information from the collapse.

While there have been no immediate reports of widespread casualties in Bangkok, residents of high-rise condominiums and hotels were evacuated as alarms blared. They gathered in the streets following the quake. The Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention reported feeling the quake across almost all regions of the country.

In Naypyitaw, Myanmar, the earthquake caused damage to religious structures, including pagodas and monasteries, with some sections collapsing. The extent of damage and casualties in Myanmar, already grappling with a civil war, is still being assessed. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra convened an emergency meeting to evaluate the impact in Thailand. This is a developing story.

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