Mass Panic as 7-7-Magnitude Quake Rocks Myanmar, Felt Across Southeast Asia

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, sending tremors as far as Bangkok, Thailand, and causing widespread panic across the region. The quake’s epicenter was in Sagaing Region, near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, home to one million people and historic temple complexes.

Videos circulating online show terrified residents fleeing swaying buildings, while city streets in Bangkok and Myanmar’s commercial hub, Yangon, saw traffic grind to a halt. Witnesses in Yangon—located nearly 380 miles from the epicenter—described intense shaking lasting about a minute, prompting mass evacuations.

Infrastructure Collapse and Communication Disruptions

Footage obtained by CNN from Myanmar shows a bridge spanning the Irrawaddy River near Mandalay collapsing in a cloud of dust and debris. Residents also reported temporary disruptions to phone networks in Yangon, a city of eight million people.

In Thailand, tremors were felt in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, where a building under construction in Chatuchak Park collapsed. The National Institute for Emergency Medicine confirmed 43 people were trapped and seven others injured.

Crisis in a War-Torn Nation

Myanmar, already struggling with more than four years of civil war following a military coup, remains ill-equipped to handle major natural disasters. Sagaing Region—one of the worst-hit areas—has been at the heart of ongoing battles between the military junta, pro-military militias, and rebel groups, making access to affected areas extremely difficult.

The earthquake’s strength was evident as tremors were even felt in China’s Yunnan province. As aftershocks continue to ripple through the region, the full scale of the disaster is still unfolding.