Earthquake in Bangkok: At least three dead due to high-rise collapse

At least 3 people died in Bangkok today during a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Thailand, trapped under the rubble of a high-rise building that collapsed like a house of cards. China also reported casualties, and a large-scale state of emergency was declared in Myanmar. This is reported by UNN with reference to ApNews.

Details

A video of the building's collapse near the popular Chatuchak market in Bangkok appeared on social media. It shows an unfinished high-rise turning into a cloud of dust, with local residents fleeing in panic.

Debris from the construction site, which was destroyed by the earthquake, fell on a construction worker's truck. He died. Another construction worker was killed by falling debris, said rescuer Songwut Wangpon.

"Three people were killed on the spot, and 90 are considered missing," said Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, but did not provide details.

However, rescuers reported that seven people were rescued from outside the collapsed building. At the same time, they noted that the debris is still too unstable to organize a search for people who may be trapped under it.

Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention reported that the earthquake was felt in almost all regions of the country. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra convened an emergency meeting to assess the consequences of the earthquake.

Bridge collapses in Myanmar

A 90-year-old bridge collapsed in the Sagaing region southwest of Mandalay, and some sections of the highway connecting Mandalay and Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, were also damaged. No casualties or fatalities were reported there.

According to photos and videos from Facebook, in Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, located near the earthquake's epicenter, parts of the former royal palace and buildings were damaged. Myanmar's military government declared a state of emergency in six regions and states, including the capital Naypyidaw and Mandalay, but as the country is in a civil war, it is unclear how aid will reach many regions.

In the capital Naypyidaw, tremors damaged religious shrines, parts of which fell to the ground, as well as some houses.

The Red Cross said that damaged power lines are complicating the task for their teams trying to reach the Mandalay and Sagaing regions, as well as the southern Shan state.

China reports casualties

According to Chinese media reports, in the northeast, the earthquake was felt in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in China and caused damage to houses and casualties in the city of Ruili on the border with Myanmar. One video shows construction debris littering the street and a person being carried on a stretcher to an ambulance.

Earlier, UNN wrote that due to a powerful earthquake that shook Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on Friday, dozens of workers were trapped in a destroyed skyscraper under construction in Bangkok, where a state of emergency was declared, and transport, including at airports, was disrupted.