At least 144 people died and more than 732 were injured in the strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar, according to the head of the country’s military government.
The tremor also hit Thailand and an authority reported that at least nine people died in the capital Bangkok. Rescue teams sew the rubble of a building that was under construction and collapsed, it is estimated that at least eight people died on the scene and more than 100 were missing.
In Mianmar, much of the destruction occurred in Mandalay, the second largest city in the country, with a population of about 1.5 million people, municipality is the former real capital of the country and an important center of the Buddhist heart.
The Mianmar Military Junta asked blood donors to contact hospitals. The UN reported that initial reports of the nation indicate “significant damage.”
In Thailand, the prime minister said the situation is “starting to improve.” The building, where it is estimated that there are arrested under the rubble, was being built by a Chinese state company.
The population of Bangkok was instructed to avoid high buildings, but now they have received green light to return home.
The earthquake was followed by a secondary tremor and several others more moderate.
Historical earthquake
This Friday’s tremor is certainly the greatest to reach Myanmar since 1946 and probably the strongest of modern times.
He broke over the sagaing failure. The last time an earthquake of this magnitude hit Earth was in 2023 in Türkiye, which killed more than 50,000 people.
Help requests
International groups asked Mianmar’s ruler military junta to allow access to humanitarian aid. “This earthquake could not have occurred at the worst time for Myanmar. More than three million people are still internally displaced by the armed conflict that has spread since the 2021 military coup,” said Amnesty International.
Tremors felt in China
Chinese social networking users in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces, which borders Myanmar, said they felt tremors after the earthquake.
It is likely that the impact of the earthquake has been felt in most of the mountainous region of the golden triangle, which encompasses parts of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos.
Damaged buildings, bridges and roads
In Mianmar, the tremor caused buildings in five cities and villages, as well as a rail bridge and a road bridge on the Express Yangon-Mandalay, said Mianmar’s state media.
A Mandalay resident reported that the destruction extended throughout the city, and a neighborhood, Sein Pan, was on fire.
Roads were damaged, interrupted telephone lines and there was no electricity, said the resident, who did not want to be identified.
A witness, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea house collapsed with several people stuck inside.
At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two witnesses said.
“We were praying when the tremor started… three died at the scene,” said one of them.
Fear in Myanmar
Passengers ran to protect themselves at Mandalay airport, while several residents told Reuters news agency that they witnessed buildings.
The city is also an important business center, houses several vital historical monasteries for the spiritual life of Mianmar’s Buddhist.
*With information from CNN
This content was originally published in Earthquake Devasta Myanmar and Thailand leaving more than 150 dead on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
