A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and Thailand on Friday afternoon, resulting in buildings collapsing and more than 150 people being killed.
According to multiple reports, a massive 7.7 earthquake struck the region and destroyed buildings and bridges. Video circulating on social media shows a 33-floor building under construction in Bangkok, Thailand completely collapse. A crane atop another building came crashing down, shattering windows and other nearby structures. A monastery also collapsed and a dam burst.
The quake was so powerful it was felt in northeast China, where people said they couldn’t stand when the earth started shaking. At least 144 people died in Myanmar and at least 10 people died in Bangkok, 101 people are missing, and three million people are currently displaced.
At this point it’s unclear to what extent the region was affected by the earthquake, but it’s considerable. The Associated Press reported on Friday that information out of Myanmar will be difficult to extract because not only is it one of the poorest countries in the world, but the area is currently undergoing a civil war and information is tightly controlled.
“We fear it may be weeks before we understand the full extent of destruction caused by this earthquake,” said Mohammed Riyas, the International Rescue Committee’s Myanmar director, via the AP.
According to reports in Myanmar, five cities and towns saw several buildings and two bridges collapse, including a key highway between Mandalay.
“It’s a great tragedy,” Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said. “In my lifetime, there was no earthquake like this in Bangkok.”
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