A powerful earthquake rocked central Myanmar on Friday, damaging buildings and forcing people to run into the streets in neighbouring Thailand.
The 7.7-magnitude tremor hit northwest of the city of Sagaing on Friday afternoon. A 6.4-magnitude aftershock hit the same area minutes later.
Chunks of ceilings fell from buildings and roads buckled in Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw.
The quake damaged buildings in Bangkok and forced the suspension of some metro and light rail services in the city.
People in the capital evacuated buildings, as businesses announced temporary closures due to the quake.
Authorities are assessing the damage and monitoring for aftershocks. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Friday she had interrupted an official visit to Phuket to hold an "urgent meeting" after the quake, according to a post on X.
Bangkok has been declared a disaster area following a strong earthquake in neighbouring Myanmar, City Hall announced on Friday. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has been placed in charge of coordinating the disaster response, it said. The governor said that the Myanmar quake has caused damage to many high-rise buildings in the capital.He said inspections were underway and urged people to be cautious.Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) announced that all flights in and out of Bangkok are operating normally.However, the Transport Ministry ordered the suspension of public transportation services, including buses and electric trains.
A 30-storey building under construction in the Chatuchak area collapsed due to the quake, trapping 43 workers, according to police and medics.
