A powerful earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, destroying roads in the capital Naypyidaw, damaging buildings and sending people fleeing into the streets in neighboring Thailand.
The US Geological Survey said a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck northwest of the city of Sagaing on Friday afternoon. A 6.4-magnitude quake struck the same area minutes later. AFP reporters reported that roofs of buildings had fallen off buildings and collapsed roads in the sprawling Myanmar capital Naypyidaw, a sprawling 20-lane highway.
An AFP team of journalists was at the National Museum in Naypyidaw when the quake struck. As uniformed workers rushed outside, pieces of roofs and walls fell from houses. Some of them were shaking and in tears, while others clutched cellphones to try to contact loved ones.
The ground shook violently for about half a minute before settling down. There were no immediate reports of casualties, but the quake shook nearby northern Thai cities and the capital, Bangkok.
Buildings damaged
The quake damaged buildings in Bangkok and some metro and light rail services were suspended. Thai Prime Minister Phatthana Shinawatra said in a post on Friday that he had cut short an official visit to the southern island of Phuket and held an “emergency meeting” after the quake.
The tremor was also felt in China’s southwestern Yunnan province, according to the Beijing Earthquake Networks Center. The agency measured the quake at 7.9 magnitude. Earthquakes are common in Myanmar, which has had six major quakes along the Sagaing Fault between 1930 and 1956.
A powerful 6.8-magnitude quake in Bagan, the ancient capital of central Myanmar, killed three people in 2016 and damaged temples and pillars at the tourist site. Experts say rapid development, aging infrastructure and poor urban planning in Myanmar’s cities have made popular areas vulnerable to earthquakes and other disasters. The poor Southeast Asian nation has a weak healthcare system, especially in rural areas.
