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State of Emergency Declared in Bangkok Following Earthquake, Thai Prime Minister Announces
Thai officials have announced a state of emergency in Bangkok, according to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Friday. This declaration comes after a significant earthquake, with its epicenter in Myanmar, impacted the city.
Reports indicate structural damage to buildings across Bangkok following the 7.7 magnitude tremor, including the collapse of a 30-story skyscraper under construction in the northern part of the metropolis.
Key events
A powerful earthquake originating in Myanmar has inflicted damage upon numerous high-rise buildings in Bangkok, the Thai capital, as stated by the city governor on Friday.
Governor Chadchart Sittipunt conveyed that the exact count of damaged structures remains undetermined, with ongoing assessments. He advised residents to exercise caution, Reuters reports.
Casualty Confirmed in Bangkok Skyscraper Collapse, Authorities Report
Thailand’s National Institute of Emergency Medicine has confirmed at least one fatality resulting from the collapse of a skyscraper under construction in Bangkok. The incident occurred after a substantial earthquake struck the city.
Emergency responders have successfully rescued numerous workers from the debris of the fallen skyscraper, officials added.
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The earthquake’s impact extended beyond Thailand, with tremors also detected in China’s southwestern Yunnan province. According to Beijing’s earthquake monitoring agency, the seismic event registered a magnitude of 7.9.
In Myanmar, a team of reporters from Agence France-Presse (AFP) were present at the National Museum in Naypyidaw when the earthquake struck.
According to the AFP team, fragments detached from the ceiling as the building began to violently shake. Museum staff, in uniform, evacuated the premises, some visibly shaken and tearful, while others attempted to contact family using their mobile phones.
Roads in the vicinity exhibited buckling and fractures due to the seismic activity, and traffic congestion mounted on routes leading to major hospitals. One hospital was designated a “mass casualty area” in the aftermath of the earthquake, authorities informed AFP.
At the 1,000-bed capacity hospital, AFP witnessed injured individuals receiving medical attention outdoors, with intravenous drips suspended from gurneys.
Bangkok Declares State of Emergency After Earthquake, Thai PM Confirms
Thai government bodies have declared a state of emergency in Bangkok, announced Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra earlier today. This action follows a substantial earthquake originating in neighboring Myanmar that heavily affected the capital city.
Reports are emerging of widespread damage to buildings throughout Bangkok due to the 7.7 magnitude earthquake. This includes a partially constructed 30-story skyscraper which collapsed in the city’s northern district.
Dozens Trapped in Collapsed Bangkok Skyscraper, Say Police and Medics
A 30-story skyscraper, designated for government offices and currently under construction in Bangkok, has collapsed. Police and medical personnel report that 43 workers are believed to be trapped within the wreckage. The collapse occurred after a powerful earthquake impacted the city.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports indicate that the structure, located in the northern sector of the Thai capital, was reduced to a mass of rubble and contorted metal in mere moments following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in adjacent Myanmar.
Eyewitnesses in Bangkok informed Reuters that residents fled into the streets in a state of panic. Among them were numerous hotel guests, some still clad in bathrobes and swimwear.
A downtown Bangkok office tower reportedly swayed visibly for approximately two minutes, accompanied by loud creaking sounds from doors and windows. Hundreds of employees evacuated the building using emergency stairwells.
Outside, a large crowd congregated under the midday sun. Medical staff distributed office chairs to individuals experiencing shock, according to Reuters.
Additional images from news agencies:
A towering high-rise building, still under construction in Bangkok, succumbed to collapse following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that impacted Thailand and neighboring Myanmar on Friday midday, according to police statements. The extent of casualties remains undetermined.
Associated Press (AP) reports the emergence of dramatic video footage on social media, depicting the multistory building, topped with a crane, as it crumbled into a cloud of dust.
Police representatives informed AP of their presence at the site near Bangkok’s well-known Chatuchak market. Information regarding the number of workers present on the construction site at the time of the collapse is currently unavailable.
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‘Five-Story Building Collapsed Before My Eyes’, Witness Reports
A witness in Mandalay recounted to Reuters:
“We all rushed out of our homes as the ground began to shake violently.
I witnessed a five-story building disintegrate right in front of me. Everyone in my town has evacuated to the streets, and nobody dares to re-enter buildings.”
Witnesses in Yangon, contacted by Reuters, reported mass evacuations from buildings throughout the city, Myanmar’s largest urban center.
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An official from the Myanmar Fire Services Department stated to Reuters:
“We have initiated search operations and are currently surveying Yangon to assess potential casualties and property damage. As of now, we have no verified information.”
Reuters indicates social media posts emerging from Mandalay, Myanmar’s historical royal capital and the epicenter of its Buddhist culture, depict buildings reduced to rubble and debris scattered across city streets. However, Reuters has not yet been able to independently confirm these reports.
In Thailand, initial reports indicate no immediate casualties. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra convened an emergency session to evaluate the far-reaching impacts of the earthquake.
Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention reported that the seismic activity was felt across nearly all provinces of the nation.
The greater Bangkok metropolitan area is home to over 17 million residents, a significant portion of whom reside in high-rise apartment buildings.
As previously mentioned, the earthquake’s epicenter was located in central Myanmar, approximately 30 miles (50km) east of Monywa city.
The Associated Press reports that in Naypyidaw, the capital city, the quake inflicted damage upon religious shrines, causing components to topple, as well as some residential structures.
Further reports concerning the extent of damage in Myanmar remain unavailable at this time, partly due to the ongoing civil conflict within the country.
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Recent images emerging from Thailand:
Powerful Earthquake Hits Myanmar, Tremors Felt in Thailand
A significant 7.7 magnitude earthquake has struck Myanmar, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The seismic event triggered widespread panic in Bangkok, the capital of neighboring Thailand, approximately 1,400km away, causing mass evacuations from tall buildings.
The USGS indicated that the earthquake, occurring on Friday, was shallow, originating at a depth of only 10km (six miles). Its epicenter was located near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay, around 50km (30 miles) east of Monywa.
Currently, there are no immediate reports of earthquake-related damage from Myanmar, a nation already facing internal instability following the 2021 coup.
In Bangkok, residents in densely populated areas were startled and rushed out of high-rise condominiums and hotels. The expansive Bangkok metropolitan area houses over 17 million individuals, many of whom reside in multi-story apartment complexes.
The force of the earthquake was sufficient to displace water from swimming pools, including those situated at elevated heights in skyscrapers, as the ground shook.
“The tremor was audible while I was asleep at home. I immediately fled the building in my pajamas,” recounted Duangjai, a resident of Chiang Mai, a popular tourist destination in northern Thailand, to AFP.