A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday with tremors being felt as far as Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, and the northern city of Chiang Mai. Fresh videos on social media showed widespread damage in both countries.
One video on social media showed an under-construction building collapsing in Bangkok's Chatuchak Market, while another video showed the iconic Ava Bridge, that connects Myanmar’s Ava and Sagaing regions, falling. However, no tsunami alert has been issued so far.
In the meantime, the Thai emergency responders said two people have been found dead and an unknown number of others are still under the rubble of a building that collapsed after a massive earthquake hit the capital, Bangkok.
Rescue worker Songwut Wangpon told reporters another seven people had been found alive, as he spoke outside the tall pile of rubble that was once a high-rise building under construction.
The multi-story structure collapsed after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck midday Friday, sending the crane on top toppling to the ground and a massive plume of dust into the air.
In Mandalay, the country's second-largest city and close to the epicenter, the earthquake damaged part of the former royal palace and buildings, according to videos and photos released on Facebook social media.
While the area is prone to earthquakes, it is generally sparsely populated, and most houses are low-rise structures.
In the Sagaing region just southwest of Mandalay, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed, and some sections of the highway connecting Mandalay and Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, were also damaged.
Residents in Yangon rushed out of their homes when the quake struck. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.