Jolts of massive 7.7 magnitude quake also felt in Myanmar, Bangladesh and China
A video grab of when the building came crashing down. Pic/AFP
Thailand’s defence minister says 90 people are missing and three are confirmed dead at the site where a high-rise building under construction collapsed when a powerful earthquake hit the capital.
ADVERTISEMENT
Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai offered no more details about the ongoing rescue efforts but first responders said that seven people had been rescued so far from outside the collapsed building. The building came down suddenly when the 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck on Friday, sending a crane toppling off the roof and a giant plume of dust into the air.
Six quakes in a day
Meanwhile, a state of emergency has been declared in six regions and states in Myanmar after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake whose epicentre was near the country’s second largest city. A total of six earthquakes jolted Myanmar on Friday, a statement by the National Center for Seismology said.
Rescue teams at the building collapse site in Bangkok. Pic/AFP
As per the NCS, the latest earthquake occurred at a depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks. Myanmar is in the midst of a civil war and many areas are not easily accessible. It was not immediately clear what relief efforts the military would be able to provide.
Tremors felt in Bangladesh
Tremors were felt in various parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka and Chattogram, when an earthquake hit Myanmar on Friday. However, no casualties were reported so far. According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the earthquake with the epicentre at Mandalay in Myanmar near the Bangladesh border hit at 12.25 pm. The distance from Dhaka to the epicentre is 597 km.
Jolts in southwest China
Strong tremors were felt in southwest China’s Yunnan province bordering Myanmar after an earthquake. No casualties have so far been reported in Yunnan, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Many residents in the provincial capital of Kunming came or stayed outdoors to escape danger when they felt the earthquake at 2.20 pm (local time).
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
