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Tourists Flee Rooftop Pool as Powerful Earthquake Rocks Bangkok
Panic gripped tourists in Bangkok who were relaxing in a skyscraper’s rooftop swimming pool when a powerful earthquake struck, triggering chaotic scenes. Dramatic video footage captured individuals caught off guard as the tremor violently agitated the pool water, forcing them to scramble for safety.
Terrifying Moments at Skyscraper Pool
The unsettling video shows two individuals enjoying the sunny weather while lounging in a rooftop pool when a significant 7.7-magnitude earthquake impacted Thailand and Myanmar on Friday. Initially, a man standing nearby on the deck observes the couple in the calm water. Suddenly, without warning, the pool water begins surging against the glass barrier, signaling the onset of the seismic event.
As the water’s motion intensifies dramatically, the three tourists are visibly panicked and struggle to maintain their balance against the backdrop of the swaying structure. The couple is thrown from their inflatable floatation device into the turbulent water, while the man on the pool deck quickly sits and grasps a deckchair for stability.
Large waves of water surge out of the pool, flooding the decking area as the agitated water crashes against the glass edge, which separates those in the pool area from the city skyline. The couple urgently clamber out of the pool amidst the building’s shaking, attempting to reach safety indoors as the elevated deck becomes submerged.
Fortunately, they, along with the other man, successfully escape, retreating from the outdoor platform behind the deckchairs and back into the high-rise building.
Terrifying video has emerged depicting tourists fleeing from a skyscraper infinity pool during an earthquake in Thailand
The three tourists were observed fleeing for safety as the water surged around them
The building violently shook, sending pool water sloshing against the glass barrier and onto the decking area
One of the loungers was seen being thrown over the building edge
In the video’s conclusion, a staff member is seen slipping on the waterlogged floor behind them as a blue lounger, moments prior occupied by the couple, is propelled over the pool’s edge.
Widespread Devastation from Powerful Tremor
The extensive impact of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand on Friday, and the resulting destruction, is becoming apparent through shocking visuals of the disaster. Rescue personnel are continuing diligent efforts to locate survivors more than three days after the catastrophic quake. Confirmed fatalities in Myanmar have reached at least 1,700, making it the most intense earthquake to hit the conflict-ridden nation in over a century, according to authorities.
Rising Death Toll and Extensive Damage
Experts anticipate that confirming the final death toll might extend for weeks. However, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has projected that the ultimate death count could exceed 10,000 individuals. Widespread damage has been reported after the earthquake caused structural failures of bridges and buildings in Bangkok. Authorities in the Thai capital are engaged in efforts to extricate numerous individuals believed to be trapped within the debris of a collapsed high-rise under construction.
Tragically, at least 18 individuals perished in Bangkok due to the earthquake. Among these, 11 fatalities occurred when an unfinished building imploded within minutes, leaving scores trapped beneath the wreckage. An additional seven deaths were reported in other parts of the capital, officials stated.
Ongoing Rescue Operations in Bangkok
Search and rescue operations persist in Bangkok for approximately 80 individuals still unaccounted for. Concerned families have gathered at the site of the collapsed high-rise, desperately seeking updates on their loved ones. Kannika Noommisri, speaking to Reuters, recounted her anguish: ‘I’ve called my husband who’s trapped inside countless times. Probably 100 to 200 calls a day, but none of them go through.’
A high-rise apartment was shaken so violently that pool water cascaded down the side
Rescuers work at the site of a collapsed building after the tremors of a strong earthquake that struck central Myanmar
Water cascades down from a rooftop swimming pool in Bangkok as the quake struck
Panicked residents stand outside an office building in Bangkok after the earthquake
City-Wide Panic and Infrastructure Disruption
Numerous videos circulating online depict swimming pools atop towering buildings in Bangkok losing significant amounts of water as the earthquake’s force propelled water over their edges and onto the streets below. Millions of residents rushed out of buildings as the seismic activity struck the Thai capital. Dramatic video evidence shows frightened locals and tourists screaming and pushing to evacuate a shopping center in the city.
The tremors prompted the temporary suspension of some metro and light rail services within the city. Video footage shows Bangkok’s renowned Skytrain experiencing violent oscillations as commuters held on to each other for support.
Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai provided limited information regarding the ongoing rescue efforts, but first responders reported that seven individuals had been rescued from the vicinity of the collapsed building. Terrifying footage captures construction workers fleeing for their lives from the building site as the apartment structure collapsed behind them, sending a massive plume of dust and debris into the air.
Seismic Activity Details
The US Geological Survey and Germany’s GFZ centre for geosciences determined that the earthquake originated at a shallow depth of 6.2 miles below the surface. A subsequent earthquake, registering a magnitude of 6.4, occurred in the same region 12 minutes later. The force of the seismic events caused a mosque in Mandalay, a city near the earthquake’s epicenter, to collapse, reportedly resulting in the deaths of at least ten worshippers.
Myanmar’s Healthcare System Overwhelmed
Authorities at a major hospital in Naypyidaw, Myanmar’s capital, declared a ‘mass casualty area,’ anticipating a rise in the country’s death toll due to numerous building collapses and flying debris. In Naypyidaw, approximately 257km south of Mandalay, a three-story hospital partially crumbled, trapping patients within the wreckage, as reported by Chinese state media. Approximately 40 hours after the initial earthquake, a Chinese rescue team successfully extracted one person from the debris.
Workers were observed walking away from the building slowly when it began to topple as the tremors shook the Thai capital
Terrifying footage shows the moment an apartment block under construction collapsed in Bangkok
Workers fled in terror as the building gave way after being shaken by the force of the quake
People sprinted to get to safety as the earthquake struck Bangkok
Regional Impact and Emergency Response
Extensive areas of neighboring Thailand also experienced the earthquake’s effects. A state of emergency was declared in the nation’s capital, home to over 17 million residents, many residing in high-rise apartments. Alarms activated in buildings when the earthquake struck around 1:30 pm local time. Startled residents were evacuated via stairwells from high-rise buildings and hotels in densely populated central Bangkok.
Eyewitnesses in Bangkok reported widespread panic as people fled onto the streets. Many hotel guests were observed in bathrobes and swimwear as water cascaded from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel. Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland shopping for camera equipment in a Bangkok mall, recounted: “All of a sudden the whole building began to move, immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic. I just started walking calmly at first but then the building started really moving, yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running the wrong way down the escalators, lots of banging and crashing inside the mall.”
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced on Friday that she had cut short an official visit to Phuket to convene an ‘urgent meeting’ following the earthquake, as conveyed in a post on X. Tremors were also felt in China’s southwest Yunnan province, according to Beijing’s quake agency, which measured the jolt at 7.9 magnitude.
Earthquake History in Myanmar
Earthquakes are relatively frequent occurrences in Myanmar. The USGS notes that six significant earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater struck near the Sagaing Fault, running north to south through the country’s center, between 1930 and 1956. A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Bagan, Myanmar’s ancient capital, killed three people in 2016. It also caused damage to spires and temple walls at the popular tourist site. Experts highlight that rapid development in Myanmar’s cities, coupled with deteriorating infrastructure and inadequate urban planning, has increased the vulnerability of populous areas to earthquakes and other disasters. The Southeast Asian nation’s medical system is already under strain, particularly in rural regions.