A powerful earthquake has wreaked havoc in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, with terrifying videos of the disaster going viral on social media. The earthquake, measuring around 7.7 in magnitude, has caused widespread destruction in the city. Viral footage shows buildings collapsing like a house of cards and people running in panic to save their lives.
In Bangkok’s Greater Zone, home to over 17 million people living in high-rise buildings, the impact was even more severe. In the densely populated Central Bangkok area, terrified residents fled from towering condominiums and hotels. Many structures crumbled to the ground, and even an under-construction bridge collapsed. In the scorching afternoon heat, people wandered the streets for hours, too afraid to return indoors. Duangjai, a resident of the popular tourist city Chiang Mai, felt the tremors too. “I was sleeping at home when the jolts hit,” he said. “I ran outside in fear and took shelter under the open sky.” The tremors were felt across northern and central Thailand.
According to Germany’s GFZ Geoscience Center, the epicenter of this devastating earthquake was in Myanmar, where a magnitude 7 quake struck 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) beneath the earth’s surface. In Myanmar’s Mandalay, the iconic Ava Bridge collapsed into the Irrawaddy River, and several buildings were reduced to rubble, with people seen fleeing for their lives. In Bangkok, the quake’s epicenter was located 16 kilometers (10 miles) northwest of Myanmar’s Sagaing city, at a depth of 10 kilometers. The earthquake struck at 12:50 PM local time (0620 GMT). Flyovers collapsed, high waves surged, and people poured out of shops, offices, and homes in a desperate bid to escape. While the full extent of the damage is yet to be assessed, the viral videos paint a chilling picture.
Beijing’s earthquake agency reported that the quake’s effects reached southwestern China’s Yunnan province, where a magnitude of 7.9 was recorded. Social media users continue to share videos of the event. In response, metro and rail services have been suspended in both Bangkok and Yunnan. Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has called an emergency meeting to review the situation and issued orders to expedite rescue operations. In this dire moment, everyone is praying for the safety of those affected.
