Latest news with #Duangjai
Observer
28-03-2025
- General
- Observer
Powerful earthquake rocks Myanmar, Thailand
A powerful earthquake rattled Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand on Friday, trapping dozens of workers in a collapsed under-construction skyscraper in Bangkok where a state of emergency was declared. The 7.7-magnitude tremor hit northwest of the city of Sagaing on Friday afternoon at a shallow depth, the United States Geological Survey said. A 6.4-magnitude aftershock hit the same area minutes later. In the Thai capital, a 30-storey building under construction collapsed, trapping 43 workers, police and medics said. The massive building intended for government offices was reduced to a tangle of rubble and twisted metal in seconds, footage shared on social media showed. "When I arrived to inspect the site, I heard people calling for help, saying help me," Worapat Sukthai, deputy police chief of Bang Sue district, told AFP. "We estimate that hundreds of people are injured but we are still determining the number of casualties," he said. Across the border in Myanmar, a team of AFP journalists were at the National Museum in Naypyidaw when the earthquake struck. Pieces fell from the ceiling as the building began shaking. Uniformed staff ran outside, some trembling and tearful, others grabbing cellphones to try to contact loved ones. Roads nearby were buckled and broken by the tremors and the route to one of the city's biggest hospitals was jammed with traffic. The hospital was a "mass casualty area" after the quake, officials said. An ambulance made its way between vehicles, a paramedic shouting "cars, move aside so the ambulance can get through." At the 1,000-bed hospital, the wounded were being treated in the street outside, intravenous drips hanging from their gurneys. Some writhed in pain, others lay still as relatives sought to comfort them. The tremors send people into the streets across both countries. "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 the popular northern Thailand tourist city Chiang Mai, told AFP. Sai, a 76-year-old Chiang Mai resident, was working at a minimart when the shop started the shake. "I quickly rushed out of the shop along with other customers," he said. "This is the strongest tremor I've experienced in my life." - Buildings damaged - The quake forced the suspension of some metro and light rail services in Bangkok, where Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra declared a state of emergency. Earlier she said she had interrupted an official visit to the southern island of Phuket to hold an "urgent meeting" after the quake, according to a post on X. Tremors were also felt in China's southwest Yunnan province, according to Beijing's quake agency, which said the jolt measured 7.9 in magnitude. A major hospital in the Myanmar capital Naypyidaw is a "mass casualty area" after the country was rocked by a massive earthquake, an official at the facility told AFP. Rows of wounded were treated outside the emergency department of the 1,000-bed general hospital, some writhing in pain, others lying still as relatives sought to comfort them.
Gulf Insider
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Strong Earthquakes Rock Thailand, Myanmar
A powerful earthquake rocked central Myanmar on Friday, buckling roads in capital Naypyidaw, damaging buildings and forcing people to flee into the streets in neighbouring Thailand. The 7.7-magnitude tremor hit northwest of the city of Sagaing on Friday afternoon at a shallow depth, the United States Geological Survey said. A 6.4-magnitude aftershock hit the same area minutes later. A 30-storey skyscraper under construction for government offices collapsed in Bangkok on Friday, trapping 43 workers, police and medics said, after the city was rocked by a strong earthquake. The building in the north of the Thai capital was reduced to a tangle of rubble and twisted metal in seconds after the quake. A state of emergency has been declared in Bangkok. '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 the popular northern Thailand tourist city Chiang Mai, told AFP. Chunks of ceilings fell from buildings and roads buckled in Myanmar capital Naypyidaw, a sprawling, purpose-built city with highways up to 20 lanes wide, according to AFP journalists. A team of AFP journalists were at the National Museum in Naypyidaw when the earthquake struck and the building began shaking. Pieces fell from the ceiling and walls cracked as uniformed staff ran outside, some of them trembling and tearful, others grabbing cellphones to try to contact loved ones. The ground vibrated violently for around half a minute before settling. The quakes caused panic in nearby cities in northern Thailand and down to capital Bangkok. Sai, a 76-year-old Chiang Mai resident, was working at a minimart when the shop started the shake. 'I quickly rushed out of the shop along with other customers,' he said. 'This is the strongest tremor I've experienced in my life.' The quake damaged buildings in Bangkok and forced the suspension of some metro and light rail services in the city. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Friday she had interrupted an official visit to the southern island of Phuket to hold an 'urgent meeting' after the quake, according to a post on X. Tremors were also felt in China's southwest Yunnan province, according to Beijing's quake agency, which said the jolt measured 7.9 in magnitude. 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 breakneck pace of development in Myanmar's cities, combined with crumbling infrastructure and poor urban planning, has also made the country's most populous areas vulnerable to earthquakes and other disasters, experts say. The impoverished Southeast Asian nation has a strained medical system, especially in its rural states. Also read: Powerful Tibet Earthquake Kills Nearly 100, Rattles Nepal
Express Tribune
28-03-2025
- Express Tribune
Powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake hits central Myanmar
Listen to article A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), causing significant damage in the capital Naypyidaw and shaking regions in China and Thailand. The earthquake's epicenter was located 16 kilometres northwest of Sagaing city, at a depth of 10 kilometres, around 12:50 pm local time (0620 GMT), as reported by the USGS. In Bangkok, some metro and light rail services were halted due to the tremors. AFP reporters in Naypyidaw reported that the force of the earthquake caused roads to buckle and chunks of ceilings to fall from buildings. In northern Thailand, including the capital Bangkok, people fled their buildings as they shook from the tremors. Duangjai, a resident of Chiang Mai, a popular northern tourist city, told AFP, 'I heard it and was sleeping in the house, I ran as far as I could in my pyjamas out of the building.' Tremors were also felt in China's southwestern Yunnan province, where Beijing's quake agency reported the jolt measuring 7.9 in magnitude. Myanmar, located near the Sagaing Fault, experiences regular earthquakes, including six strong quakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher between 1930 and 1956, according to the USGS. In 2016, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar's ancient capital, Bagan, resulted in three deaths and significant damage, including the destruction of temple spires and walls at the popular tourist destination. The country's rural areas, where the medical system is under strain, may face challenges in providing aid and assistance to those affected.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Powerful earthquake rocks Myanmar, Thailand
A powerful earthquake rocked central Myanmar on Friday, buckling roads in capital Naypyidaw, damaging buildings and forcing people to flee into the streets in neighbouring Thailand. The 7.7-magnitude tremor hit northwest of the city of Sagaing on Friday afternoon at a shallow depth, the United States Geological Survey said. A 6.4-magnitude aftershock hit the same area minutes later. "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 the popular northern Thailand tourist city Chiang Mai, told AFP. Chunks of ceilings fell from buildings and roads buckled in Myanmar capital Naypyidaw, a sprawling, purpose-built city with highways up to 20 lanes wide, according to AFP journalists. A team of AFP journalists were at the National Museum in Naypyidaw when the earthquake struck and the building began shaking. Pieces fell from the ceiling and walls cracked as uniformed staff ran outside, some of them trembling and tearful, others grabbing cellphones to try to contact loved ones. The ground vibrated violently for around half a minute before settling. There were no immediate reports of casualties after the quakes but they caused panic in nearby cities in northern Thailand and down to capital Bangkok. Sai, a 76-year-old Chiang Mai resident, was working at a minimart when the shop started the shake. "I quickly rushed out of the shop along with other customers," he said. "This is the strongest tremor I've experienced in my life." - Buildings damaged - The quake damaged buildings in Bangkok and forced the suspension of some metro and light rail services in the city. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Friday she had interrupted an official visit to the southern island of Phuket to hold an "urgent meeting" after the quake, according to a post on X. Tremors were also felt in China's southwest Yunnan province, according to Beijing's quake agency, which said the jolt measured 7.9 in magnitude. 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 breakneck pace of development in Myanmar's cities, combined with crumbling infrastructure and poor urban planning, has also made the country's most populous areas vulnerable to earthquakes and other disasters, experts say. The impoverished Southeast Asian nation has a strained medical system, especially in its rural states. bur-jfx/hmn
Times of Oman
28-03-2025
- Climate
- Times of Oman
Thailand: Bangkok residents feel strong, lengthy earthquake
Bangkok: A strong and lengthy tremor was felt by residents in the Thai capital, Bangkok, on Friday, with buildings swaying and shops and offices evacuated. Germany's GFZ for geosciences said the epicenter of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake was in neighboring Myanmar, citing preliminary reports. It was recorded at a shallow 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). The United States Geological Survey (USGS) meanwhile said the earthquake had a 7.7 magnitude. There were no immediate reports on casualties or damage. But witnesses said people ran out into the streets of Bangkok after feeling the powerful tremors. Water splashed out of swimming pools, witnesses added. "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 the French AFP news agency after tremors were felt across northern and central Thailand.
