Massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Myanmar’s Sagaing region, shaking Southeast Asia
A resident looks on next to a collapsed building in Mandalay after an earthquake in central Myanmar, on March 28, 2025. (AFP Photo)
A severe 7.7 magnitude earthquake jolted near Myanmar’s Mandalay on Friday, with tremors rippling into southwest China and sparking alarm across neighboring countries.
The tremor’s epicenter was located 16 kilometres (10 miles) northwest of the city of Sagaing at a depth of 10 kilometres around 12:50 pm local time (0620 GMT), according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Sagaing Region is located in the northwestern part of the country and has a population of over 5 million.
The tremors were strong enough to be felt in southwest China, where residents reported swaying buildings and fled into the streets in panic.
There were no confirmed reports of casualties.
Notable quake, preliminary info: M 7.7 – 16 km NNW of Sagaing, Myanmar https://t.co/g2nXJYU6eI
— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) March 28, 2025
Massive destruction feared in Sagaing region
The earthquake reportedly caused partial destruction to the historic Awa Bridge in Mandalay, while in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, the tremors caused rooftop pools in several buildings to overflow, sparking panic among residents.
An aftershock of 6.4 magnitude hit the same region 12 minutes after the initial devastating earthquake, according to USGS.
🔴 #UPDATE — Earthquake reportedly causes part of historic Mandalay Palace wall to collapse pic.twitter.com/LaOjQR6yzo
— Türkiye Today (@turkiyetodaycom) March 28, 2025
“I heard it and I was sleeping in the house, I ran as far as I could in my pyjamas out of the building,” Duangjai, a resident of the popular northern tourist city Chiang Mai, told AFP.
Reports coming from Thailand said an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2 was felt across the capital Bangkok, where a high-rise building under construction in the Chatuchak district collapsed, and people living in high-rise buildings had to evacuate.
Some metro and light rail services were temporarily suspended in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, as a precautionary measure.
Details to follow…
