Massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Myanmar and Thailand and kills more than 153 people

According to the leader of Myanmar's military administration, the violent 7.7-magnitude earthquake The confirmed death toll stands at 153, but is anticipated to rise, wounded more than 730 others.

The confirmed death toll stands at 153, but is anticipated to rise.

As the toll from the collapsed Bangkok skyscraper increases, 110 people remain trapped under the wreckage, according to a Thai minister.

Dramatic footage shot in Bangkok shows an apartment building that was under construction collapsing, sending dust and debris across the city's streets. At least eight people were murdered in that tragedy, while more than 144 were killed in Burma, where photographs and video from two hard-hit cities revealed considerable devastation.

The estimated number of persons trapped under the debris has also risen, with rescue workers still attempting to release 110 individuals.

Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reported that at least 12 persons have been rescued from the site.

“There is still a possibility of finding more bodies, as some are trapped under the building’s structure,” Anutin told reporters in an interview. “Special techniques are needed to safely remove these bodies to prevent further collapses caused by shifting structural elements.”

Anutin stated that rescue crews will continue to operate through the night.

The Thai prime minister stated earlier on Friday that the situation in the nation has improved, allowing people to return home, following the effects of a massive earthquake in neighboring Myanmar.

The earthquake's epicenter was in central Burma, with aftershocks reported in India and China.

Friday's earthquake is unquestionably the largest to strike Myanmar since 1946, and most possibly the strongest in contemporary times. It burst near the Sagaing fault. The last earthquake of this magnitude to strike land was in 2023 in Turkey, which killed over 50,000 people.

International organizations asked Myanmar's governing military junta to grant access to humanitarian supplies. “This earthquake could not come at a worse time for Myanmar.  More than three million people remain internally displaced from armed conflict that has raged since the 2021 military coup,” Amnesty International said.