Myanmar Earthquake Highlights | Nearly 150 dead, over 700 injured

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | At least three dead after mosque partially collapses

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar. The news of the deaths was reported by Reuters citing eyewitnesses.

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | PM Modi expresses concern, offers help

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed concern over the earthquake that hit Myanmar and Thailand.

Read more

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Damage sustained to many high-rise buildings in Thai capital, governor says

A strong earthquake in Myanmar has caused damage to many high-rise buildings in the Thai capital Bangkok, its governor said on Friday.

Chadchart Sittipunt said the number of buildings damaged was not yet known and inspections were underway. He urged people to be cautious. (Reuters)

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Thai capital declared disaster area after quake, city hall says

Thailand's capital has been declared a disaster area following a strong earthquake in neighboring Myanmar, Bangkok city hall said on Friday.

The Bangkok governor has been placed in charge of coordinating the disaster response, it said. (Reuters)

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Myanmar junta declares state of emergency in multiple regions following strong earthquake

Myanmar's ruling military on Friday declared a state of emergency in multiple regions after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck in the country. (Reuters)

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Lines of wounded at Myanmar hospital after powerful quake

Rows of wounded lay outside the emergency department of the 1,000-bed hospital in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw on Friday, some writhing in pain and others in shock after a powerful earthquake.

A stream of casualties were brought to the hospital -- some in cars, others in pickups, and others carried on stretchers, their bodies bloody and covered in dust.

"This is a mass casualty area", a hospital official said, as they ushered journalists away from the treatment area.

The hospital itself was hit by the terrifying tremors, which buckled roads and ripped tarmac apart as the ground vibrated violently for around half a minute.

The hospital's emergency department was itself heavily damaged, a car crushed under the heavy concrete of its fallen entrance.

"Many injured people have been arriving, I haven't seen anything like this before," a doctor at the hospital told AFP.

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Thailand's Siam Piwat says three major Bangkok malls closed temporarily due to quake

Three major malls in Thailand's capital operated by Siam Piwat Group have closed temporarily after an earthquake, with all staff and customers safely evacuated, the group said on Friday.

The big malls were Siam Paragon, Siam Center and Siam Discovery in downtown Bangkok. Inspections would be undertaken to assess safety, the group said in a statement. (Reuters)

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Three confirmed dead in Thai capital after quake, governor says

hree people been confirmed dead in Thailand's capital from damage sustained after a strong earthquake struck neighbouring Myanmar, Bangkok's governor said on Friday.

Chadchart Sittipunt warned of possible aftershocks but urged people to be calm and said the situation was largely under control.

Authorities had received 169 calls about damage to buildings in Bangkok, he said. Urban rail systems in Bangkok were temporarily closed but expected to resume services on Saturday. (Reuters)

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Myanmar quake causes building collapses in five urban centres, infrastructure damage: Report

A strong earthquake that struck Myanmar on Friday caused the collapse of several buildings in five cities and towns, state media reported.

The 7.7 magnitude quake also caused the collapse of two bridges and damaged an expressway, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported on its website. It did not give details of any casualties. (Reuters)

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Initial reports from earthquake indicate significant damage in central Myanmar, UN official says

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Thai defence minister says 90 missing, 3 dead at site of high-rise under construction

Thailand's defence minister says 90 people are missing and three are confirmed dead at the site where a high-rise building under construction collapsed when a powerful earthquake hit the capital.

Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai offered no more details about the ongoing rescue efforts but first responders said that seven people had been rescued so far from outside the collapsed building.

The building came down suddenly when the 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Friday, sending a crane toppling off the roof and a giant plume of dust into the air. (AP)

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Buildings and infrastructure collapsed in Myanmar earthquake, says Red Cross

 Buildings and public infrastructure have been damaged and collapsed as a result of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar, with concerns for state of large scale dams, the Red Cross said on Friday.

"Public infrastructure has been damaged including roads, bridges and public buildings. We currently have concerns for large scale dams that people are watching to see the conditions of them", Marie Manrique, Program Coordinator for the International Federation of the Red Cross said to reporters in Geneva, via video link from Yangon.

"We anticipate the impact to be quite large", she added.  (Reuters)

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Myanmar National Airlines cancels some flights following quake

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Thai rescuers trying to free 81 people trapped after Bangkok building collapse, deputy premier says

Thai rescuers are seeking to free 81 people still trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in the Thai capital Bangkok after a strong earthquake, a deputy prime minister said on Friday.

Thai Defence Minister Phumtham Wechachai told reporters three people have been confirmed dead. (Reuters)

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | At least 20 dead in Myanmar after strong earthquake

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, strongly shaking buildings across a vast expanse of Southeast Asia, and causing damage in cities as far away as Bangkok in neighboring Thailand. At least 20 people were killed in Myanmar, and three in Thailand.

The quake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city with more than a million people, around 12:50 p.m. local time, the US Geological Survey said. An aftershock of magnitude 6.4 was recorded about 11 minutes later.

A magnitude of 7.7 is considered to be strong. At a depth of about 6 miles, the quake was relatively shallow, which made it likely to cause violent shaking. (NYT)

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Tremors felt in Bangladesh as 7.7 magnitude earthquake hits Myanmar

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Tremors felt in China's Yunnan as quake strikes Myanmar

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Myanmar declares emergency in 6 regions, plans rescue operations

Myanmar has declared a state of emergency in six regions, including Sagaing, Mandalay, and the capital Naypyitaw following a strong earthquake on Friday and is seeking to conduct rescue operations as soon as possible, state media reported.

The government has initiated prompt investigations into the damage and plans to conduct rescue operations as soon as possible. Authorities will push for access to disaster relief and humanitarian aid, the military-controlled Global New Light of Myanmar said. (Reuters)

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | In pics: Powerful earthquake hits Myanmar

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | WHO readying medical supplies for 'huge' Myanmar quake

 The WHO said it had triggered its emergency management system in response to Friday's "huge" earthquake in Myanmar and was mobilising its logistics hub in Dubai to prepare trauma injury supplies.

The World Health Organization is coordinating its earthquake response from its Geneva headquarters "because we see this as a huge event" with "clearly a very, very big threat to life and health", spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a media briefing.

"We've activated our logistics hub to look particularly for trauma supplies and things like external fixators because we expect that there will be many, many injuries that need to be dealt with," Harris said. (AFP)

Myanmar Earthquake LIVE | Myanmar shadow government says 12 killed in quake, urgent international help needed

 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar has killed at least 12 people and urgent international assistance is needed, the war-torn country's shadow foreign minister told Reuters on Friday.

Zin Mar Aung, the top diplomat of the parallel National Unity Government, said troops from the anti-junta militias, known as the People's Defence Forces, would be providing humanitarian help.

"It's very serious, we need humanitarian and technical assistance from the international community," Zin Mar Aung said in a phone interview, adding communications was a major challenge, including internet restrictions imposed by the junta in a hard-hit area. (Reuters)

Myanmar Earthquake Live | Death toll mounts

Myanmar’s military government said 144 people had been killed and 732 injured so far.

Myanmar Earthquake Live | Nearly 150 dead in Myanmar after strong earthquak

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, shaking buildings across a vast expanse of Southeast Asia. Myanmar’s military government said 144 people had been killed and 732 injured.

Hundreds of miles away, three people were killed and dozens were missing after a skyscraper under construction collapsed in Bangkok, in neighboring Thailand.

Bleeding victims rushed to hospitals by ambulance, car and motorbike after the temblor — only the third of its size to hit the region in the past century — struck Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, around 12:50 p.m. local time. An aftershock of magnitude 6.4 was recorded about 11 minutes later. A rescue worker in the city said at least 86 people had been killed. (NYT)

Myanmar Earthquake Live | Myanmar junta chief calls for help from any country following deadly quake

Myanmar Earthquake Live | Missing people from Bangkok building collapse in Bangkok at 117, 5 dead, Thai rescue operation says

Myanmar Earthquake Live | The science behind the powerful earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.7 centred in the Sagaing region near the Myanmar city of Mandalay caused extensive damage in that country and also shook neighbouring Thailand on Friday.

HOW VULNERABLE IS MYANMAR TO EARTHQUAKES?

Myanmar lies on the boundary between two tectonic plates and is one of the world's most seismically active countries, although large and destructive earthquakes have been relatively rare in the Sagaing region.

"The plate boundary between the India Plate and Eurasia Plate runs approximately north-south, cutting through the middle of the country," said Joanna Faure Walker, a professor and earthquake expert at University College London.

She said the plates move past each other horizontally at different speeds. While this causes "strike slip" quakes that are normally less powerful than those seen in "subduction zones" like Sumatra, where one plate slides under another, they can still reach magnitudes of 7 to 8.

WHY WAS FRIDAY'S QUAKE SO DAMAGING?

Sagaing has been hit by several quakes in recent years, with a 6.8 magnitude event causing at least 26 deaths and dozens of injuries in late 2012.

But Friday's event was "probably the biggest" to hit Myanmar's mainland in three quarters of a century, said Bill McGuire, another earthquake expert at UCL.

Roger Musson, honorary research fellow at the British Geological Survey, told Reuters that the shallow depth of the quake meant the damage would be more severe. The quake's epicentre was at a depth of just 10 km (6.2 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey.

"This is very damaging because it has occurred at a shallow depth, so the shockwaves are not dissipated as they go from the focus of the earthquake up to the surface. The buildings received the full force of the shaking."

"It's important not to be focused on epicentres because the seismic waves don't radiate out from the epicentre - they radiate out from the whole line of the fault," he added.

HOW PREPARED WAS MYANMAR?

The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program said on Friday that fatalities could be between 10,000 and 100,000 people, and the economic impact could be as high as 70% of Myanmar's GDP.

Musson said such forecasts are based on data from past earthquakes and on Myanmar's size, location and overall quake readiness.

The relative rarity of large seismic events in the Sagaing region - which is close to heavily populated Mandalay - means that infrastructure had not been built to withstand them. That means the damage could end up being far worse.

Musson said that the last major quake to hit the region was in 1956, and homes are unlikely to have been built to withstand seismic forces as powerful as those that hit on Friday.

"Most of the seismicity in Myanmar is further to the west whereas this is running down the centre of the country," he said. (Reuters)

Myanmar Earthquake Live | Pope offers prayers for quake-stricken Southeast Asia from convalescence in Vatican (AP)

Myanmar Earthquake Live | Myanmar capital's 1,000-bed hospital sustains damage from quake