Powerful 7.7 Earthquake Devastates Myanmar and Thailand, Hospital Overwhelmed, Dozens Trapped
Massive quake hits Sagaing, causing destruction in Naypyidaw and Bangkok—Myanmar appeals for global aid as rescue efforts intensify.
Watan-A powerful earthquake struck Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on Friday, turning a major hospital in the Burmese capital into a “mass casualty zone,” while dozens of workers were trapped under the rubble of a high-rise under construction in Bangkok.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit the city of Sagaing in northwestern Myanmar on Friday afternoon at a shallow depth, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Minutes later, a 6.4-magnitude aftershock hit the same area.
The tremors caused widespread damage, especially in Myanmar, where buildings collapsed, roads cracked, and the famous Ava Bridge near the epicenter also fell.
Earthquake sum up 3pm (Mynamar/Thailand)
– 7.7 quake hit near Mandalay/Myanmar
– Hundreds of homes collapsed (various Myanmar cities)
– Strong shocks in Thailand + multiple building collapse in Bangkok
– USGS predicts thousands of people dead(Bangkok clips from social media:) pic.twitter.com/kJodTn6BIg
— Florian Witulski (@vaitor) March 28, 2025
Myanmar Junta Declares Emergency, Appeals for Aid After Mass Casualty Event
The ruling military junta in Myanmar issued a rare appeal for international humanitarian aid, and a state of emergency was declared in six regions of the country.
AFP reporters saw junta leader Min Aung Hlaing arrive at the main hospital in Naypyidaw, where the injured were being treated.
They saw the entrance to the emergency ward had collapsed onto a car.
Patients at the 1,000-bed hospital were being treated outside on the street. Some writhed in pain while others lay still as relatives tried to comfort them.
A hospital official tried to move journalists away, saying: “This is a mass casualty zone.”
Another official reported that hundreds of injured people had arrived at the facility.
A doctor said: “I’ve never seen anything like this before. We’re trying to manage the situation. I’m extremely exhausted.”
The road to the hospital was crowded. An ambulance tried to pass between vehicles as a medic shouted, “Clear the way so the ambulance can pass!”
At the National Museum in Naypyidaw, parts of the ceiling collapsed as the building shook. Employees rushed outside—some trembling and crying, while others tried to contact their loved ones.
Additional footage showing the collapse of an under construction skyscraper in Bangkok, during today’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake on the border between Thailand and Myanmar.#Myanmar #Earthquake #แผ่นดินไหว #Thailand #Bangkok #Myanmar #Burma pic.twitter.com/9pzRnXzID7
— JUST IN | World (@justinbroadcast) March 28, 2025
Skyscraper collapse in Bangkok
Across the border in Thailand, which rarely experiences strong quakes, the intense shaking sent residents of several cities into the streets in panic.
In Bangkok, a 30-story building under construction collapsed, trapping 43 workers beneath the rubble, according to police and rescue workers.
The massive structure, intended for government offices, turned into a pile of debris and metal within seconds, as seen in videos circulating on social media.
An AFP photographer at the scene saw ambulances and rescue teams near the city’s Chatuchak Market, a popular destination for tourists and locals alike.
Worapat Sukhtai, deputy police chief of the Bang Sue district, said: “When I arrived to inspect the site, I heard people crying for help.”
He added: “We estimate that hundreds are injured, but we’re still working to determine the exact number of casualties.”
In Bangkok and Chiang Mai—a major tourist destination—brief power outages were reported. Residents appeared shocked, confused about how to react to such an unusual event for the country.
Sai, a 76-year-old who was working in a shop when the quake hit, said: “I rushed out of the store with some customers… it’s the strongest tremor I’ve ever felt in my life.”
Damaged Buildings
The earthquake prompted Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to declare a state of emergency in Bangkok, where some metro and light rail services were suspended. Airports, however, continued to operate normally.
Earlier, the Prime Minister had cut short an official visit to the southern island of Phuket to hold an “emergency meeting” after the quake, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Tremors were felt across the region, including in China, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and India.
A live broadcast by Beijing News showed dozens of emergency personnel in orange suits and helmets standing behind a barrier on a street where rocks had fallen in the Chinese city of Ruili, near the Myanmar border.
A shop worker interviewed during the broadcast shared a video showing people running out of stores with their hands over their heads during the shaking, only to return inside after a nearby water pipe burst.
A video posted on Douyin (China’s version of TikTok) and verified by AFP showed a stream of water and debris pouring from the rooftop of a tall building in Ruili, as people ran through the market below.
India offers help
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India is ready to provide “all possible assistance” to Myanmar and Thailand and instructed authorities to be on alert in case a request comes in.
Myanmar is prone to seismic activity. Between 1930 and 1956, six earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.0 or more occurred near the Sagaing Fault, which runs through the center of the country from north to south, according to the USGS.
In 2016, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the ancient capital of Bagan in central Myanmar, killing three people and causing the collapse of towers and temple walls at the tourist site.
