Powerful earthquakes rock South-East Asia, from Bangkok to Bangladesh

A powerful earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, 28 March, sending tremors across Southeast Asia, including Thailand and Bangladesh.

The quake, with a magnitude between 7.4 and 7.7, had its epicentre approximately 50 km east of Monywa, Myanmar, at a depth of 10 kilometres.

As of now, reports indicate at least 20 fatalities in Myanmar.

Bangkok had a bit of an early warning and buildings swayed for minutes, allowing evacuation from numerous highrises. A 30-storey skyscraper under construction in Bangkok's Chatuchak district collapsed, trapping 43 workers.

In the Silom district, thousands of people fled to the streets in panic.

With emergency services actively engaged in rescue operations, searching for survivors amidst the rubble of the under-construction multi-storeyed building, reports say at least one person has died, one is missing and 50 others have already been injured in the building collapse.

Thailand's prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has declared a state of emergency in Bangkok and convened an emergency meeting to assess the situation and coordinate rescue efforts.

Meanwhile, the tremors were felt across various parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka and Chattogram, as well as in Kolkata in India.

In Bangladesh, residents experienced shaking that lasted several minutes, prompting many to evacuate buildings as a precaution. As of now, there have been no reports of casualties or significant damage.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department did confirm the earthquake's impact, noting that the epicentre was approximately 597 km from Dhaka.

Md Rubayat Kabir, acting officer of the Earthquake Observation and Research Centre at the country's meteorological department, classified the event as a major seismic occurrence.

Across the border in India, mild tremors were felt in Kolkata and Imphal. However, there have been no reports of damage to property or loss of life due to the tremor.

In Manipur, tremors caused panic among residents of Thangal Bazar in Imphal, where many old multi-storey buildings, are located.

Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation and have advised residents to remain vigilant for potential aftershocks. It is recommended to follow safety protocols and stay informed through official channels for any updates.

With PTI inputs