Bangkok declares emergency after Myanmar earthquake shakes region, sending tremors across borders and triggering panic from Yangon to Chiang Mai.
A powerful 7.7-magnitude quake struck central Myanmar on Friday afternoon (March 28), collapsing buildings and prompting swift emergency responses in neighboring countries, including Thailand and China.
The quake’s epicenter was recorded in Myanmar’s Sagaing region, an area already ravaged by ongoing civil conflict between the country’s military junta and various rebel groups. The tremor hit near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, home to approximately 1.5 million residents and several UNESCO-recognized temple complexes. Authorities reported a series of aftershocks, one of which reached a magnitude of 6.4, adding to the damage and fear across the region.
In Thailand, officials declared parts of Bangkok an “emergency zone” after the quake caused the partial collapse of an under-construction high-rise, resulting in at least one death and over 50 injuries. The National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM) in Bangkok stated that search and rescue teams are actively working to locate individuals believed to be trapped beneath the rubble. The shockwave also caused traffic to stop abruptly and sent thousands of residents fleeing high-rise buildings across the city.
Residents in Myanmar, Thailand, and even China’s Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, felt the ground tremble. Videos from the scene showed buildings swaying and dust clouds rising as structures shifted under the strain. A bridge spanning the Irrawaddy River near Mandalay reportedly collapsed into the water, captured in dramatic footage showing clouds of debris and the sudden vanishing of the structure into the river below.
Myanmar’s military-led government declared an “emergency situation” in large parts of the country, including Mandalay and Naypyidaw, the military-built capital. The full extent of the damage within Myanmar remains unclear as communication is limited, and access to affected areas is complicated by both geography and ongoing conflict. Many parts of the country are inaccessible by road or river, with various factions running checkpoints and restricting movement.
Eyewitnesses in Mandalay told local media that multiple buildings collapsed, including a five-story residential complex and a tea shop where people were reportedly trapped. In Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city located nearly 380 miles from the epicenter, residents ran from buildings when the shaking began. One resident described the experience as lasting nearly a full minute, with buildings creaking and shaking underfoot.
Another Yangon resident named Wang, who was on the 20th floor of a building during the quake, shared, “People next to me were all scared to death. The quake felt so strong, and lasted really long.” Though phone networks briefly went down across parts of the city, they were restored a short time later.
In northern Thailand, residents in Chiang Mai also felt the tremors. One resident told reporters they immediately left their building and ran outside. Though the damage in Chiang Mai appears to be minimal, the psychological impact of the earthquake was widespread.
Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, one of the busiest in Asia, remained fully operational following the quake. Officials released a statement via social media confirming no disruptions had occurred and that all flights were proceeding on schedule.
This disaster comes at a time when Myanmar is already struggling under the weight of a years-long civil war and economic crisis. The country remains one of Asia’s poorest, and its emergency response infrastructure is limited. Aid efforts are expected to face severe challenges due to instability and restricted access in conflict zones.
As aftershocks continue to ripple through the region, governments across Southeast Asia are monitoring the situation closely. Humanitarian organizations have begun assessing what assistance can be provided, especially to hard-hit regions in Myanmar where international help is desperately needed but hard to deliver.
