Over 144 people killed, 732 injured in Myanmar quake

NEW DELHI, Mar 28
At least 144 people were killed and 732 injured after six earthquakes - the biggest of 7.7 magnitude - hit central Myanmar at 12.50pm (local time) Friday, State-run broadcaster MRTV has said. The epicentres were northwest of Sagaing at depths of 10 to 30 km, the United States Geological Survey said.
The total death toll included 96 in Nay Pyi Taw, 18 in Sagaing, and 30 in Mandalay.
The death toll may rise into the thousands, a US government predictive analysis has found based on the strength and depth of the earthquake.
The toll includes casualties from a hospital in capital Naypyidaw - which is likely to become a "mass casualty area", doctors there told news agency AFP - and from a Mosque in Mandalay that collapsed while people were praying inside, as well as a university building in which a fire broke out.
The quake sparked panic in Manipur too as its impact was felt around noon today.
Photos and videos on social media showed employees of the Old and New Secretariats gathering in the open space in front of their respective office buildings.
People near Rupmahal Tank and elsewhere also evacuated their buildings and gathered in the nearby open space.
There, however, is no report of damage to old structures or buildings in Imphal.
Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing declared an 'emergency' and appealed for aid, asking for "any country and any organisation" to step forward.
Tremors were felt as far away as northern Thailand, where some metro and rail services were suspended in the Thai capital. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra broke off an official visit to Phuket to hold an urgent review meet, after which she too declared a state of 'emergency' in the city.
Nine deaths have been reported from a collapsed building in Bangkok.
China's Yunnan province also reported strong tremors; the China Earthquake Networks Center said the magnitude was 7.9. And mild tremors were also reported from Kolkata in Bengal and parts of Manipur, where tremors of 4.4 magnitude were recorded as well as Dhaka and Chattogram in Bangladesh.
Tremors and aftershocks were also felt in Vietnam and Bangladesh.
No deaths have been reported from China or elsewhere, so far.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India is ready to offer any assistance needed. "Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone," he posted on X. "... have asked our authorities to be on standby."
The leaders of European Nations have also offered assistance.
Scary Videos Of Bangkok Tremors
Terrifying videos on X showed buildings shaking in Bangkok and other cities, with people running onto the streets in panic. "I heard it... I was sleeping in the house and then I ran as far as I could in my pyjamas out of the building," Duangjai, a resident of popular tourist city Chiang Mai, told AFP.
One particularly horrifying video showed water from an infinity pool falling over the edge.
And another showed a 30-floor, under-construction skyscraper in Bangkok's Chatuchak neighbourhood collapsing. According to Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, 84 workers were trapped.
"When I arrived to inspect the site, I heard people calling for help, saying help me," deputy police chief Worapat Sukthai, told AFP. "We estimate hundreds are injured but are still determining number of casualties." Three deaths have been confirmed from this spot so far.
Destruction In Myanmar
A hospital in the Myanmar capital received "hundreds of casualties", AFP reported.
Horrific visuals showed the entrance arch to the emergency department had collapsed onto a car, forcing medics to treat patients outside and on the road.
Meanwhile, an old bridge over the Irrawaddy River and several residential buildings also collapsed, with images from Mandalay (around 24km from Sagaing) suggesting dozens more may be trapped.
Other videos showed extensive damage to the airport in Mandalay and to a monastery near the city of Taunggyi, in Myanmar's Shan State that is on the border to Thailand.
Rescue teams have launched extensive operations to search for survivors but the situation is dire, with reports of collapsed buildings and damaged infrastructure, particularly in the Mandalay region.
Roads between Mandalay and Yangon were also damaged and this has hampered relief efforts.
Myanmar's Quake History
Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or more struck between 1930 and 1956 near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the country.
A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake, in the ancient capital Bagan in central Myanmar, killed three people in 2016, also toppling spires and crumbling temple walls at the tourist destination.
The impoverished nation has a strained medical system, especially in its rural states.
NDTV with input from agencies