Earthquake today: Quake of magnitude 7.2 hits Myanmar; tremors felt in China, Thailand

Central Myanmar experienced a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, affecting areas in Thailand and even China's Yunnan province. Panic ensued in Bangkok, leading to evacuations from high-rise buildings.

Earthquack in Myanmar,Thialnd

Major Earthquake Strikes Bangkok, Thailand's Capital

Powerful earthquake shakes Bangkok, the capital of Thailand

According to preliminary findings reported by AFP, the U.S. Geological Survey and Germany's GFZ Center for Geosciences indicated that a midday earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), with its epicenter situated in neighboring Myanmar.

Additionally, tremors were experienced in China's southwest Yunnan province, as reported by Beijing's earthquake agency, which stated that the shock had a magnitude of 7.9.

The greater Bangkok region, with a population exceeding 17 million, features numerous high-rise apartments. When the earthquake struck at approximately 1:30 p.m., alarms went off in buildings, causing shocked residents to flee via staircases in high-rise condos and hotels within the crowded central area. In the aftermath of the quake, people assembled in the streets, looking for shade from the midday sun.

Building Collapse in Thailand Triggered by Strong Tremors

An under-construction building in Thailand collapsed due to the strong tremors.

"I heard it and I was sleeping in the house, I ran as far as I could in my pyjamas out of the building," Duangjai, a resident of popular tourist city Chiang Mai, told AFP after tremors were felt across northern and central Thailand, as reported by AFP.

How common are earthquakes in Myanmar?

Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or more struck between 1930 and 1956 near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the centre of the country, according to the USGS.

A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake in the ancient capital Bagan in central Myanmar killed three people in 2016, also toppling spires and crumbling temple walls at the tourist destination.

The impoverished Southeast Asian nation has a strained medical system, especially in its rural states.