Two powerful earthquakes hit Myanmar with tremors felt in Thailand

Magnitude 7.7 and 6.4 earthquakes have struck Myanmar, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), with strong tremors causing destruction in Thailand and felt elsewhere in the region, Al Jazeera reported.

The first tremor hit 16km (10 miles) northwest of the city of Sagaing at a depth of 10km (6 miles) at about 12:50pm (06:20 GMT) on Friday, USGS said.

The AFP news agency reported from Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw that roads were buckled by the force of the tremors and chunks of ceilings fell from buildings.

An officer from the Myanmar Fire Services Department told the Reuters news agency: “We have started the search and going around Yangon to check for casualties and damage. So far, we have no information yet.”

A skyscraper under construction collapsed in the Thai capital, Bangkok, due to the quake on Friday, trapping 43 workers, the police and medics have said.