A strong 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit Bangkok on Friday, causing buildings to sway and triggering massive evacuations. The quake, which took its origin in central Myanmar, caused panic throughout the Thai capital, although no initial damage or fatalities were reported.
The epicenter was 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Monywa, Myanmar, at a depth of 10 kilometers, the GFZ Center for Geosciences in Germany said. The quake was so powerful it sloshed water from rooftop pools on high-rise buildings. Alarms blared and hundreds of people flooded the streets after evacuations from condominiums and hotels in downtown Bangkok.
Take a look:
Earthquake pic.twitter.com/WCT7eNXPHA
— Bangkok Louie. (@LJP987) March 28, 2025
The earthquake hit at approximately 1:30 p.m., with panicked residents milling about outside, getting shade from the sun as they waited for information. Several high-rise buildings in the city were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Building Collapse and Potential Fatalities
In the midst of the turmoil, Bangkok police confirmed that an under-construction high-rise collapsed after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which was separately reported in the Thai capital. A heart-stopping video making the rounds on social media captured the multi-story building disintegrating into a huge cloud of dust, as onlookers screamed and fled. Police, who had rushed to the scene close to Chatuchak Market, reported that they did not have immediate details on how many workers were on site.
Myanmar’s Response and Uncertainty
Even though the epicenter of the quake was in Myanmar, there were no initial reports of its effects there. The nation is still embroiled in a civil war, which could slow damage surveys.
The metropolitan area of Bangkok, with more than 17 million residents, felt one of its few major earthquakes, prompting worries about the city’s readiness for future seismic events.
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