A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on Friday, destroying buildings, bridges and a monastery. At least 144 people were killed in Myanmar, where photos and video from two hard-hit cities showed extensive damage. At least 10 died in the Thai capital, where a high-rise under construction collapsed.
The 7.7 magnitude quake struck at midday, with an epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar 바카라s second-largest city. Aftershocks followed, one of them measuring a strong 6.4 magnitude.
Myanmar-Thailand Earthquakes | Top Points
바카라The death toll and injuries are expected to rise,바카라 the head of Myanmar바카라s military government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said as he announced on television that at least 144 people were killed and 730 others were injured in his country.
In Thailand, Bangkok city authorities said 10 people were killed, 16 injured and 101 missing from three construction sites, including the high-rise.
In Mandalay, the earthquake reportedly brought down multiple buildings, including one of the city바카라s largest monasteries. Photos from the capital city of Naypyidaw showed rescue crews pulling victims from the rubble of multiple buildings used to house civil servants.
The U.S. Geological Survey, a government science agency, estimated that the death toll could top 1,000.
In Thailand, a 33-story building under construction crumpled into a cloud of dust near Bangkok바카라s popular Chatuchak market, and onlookers could be seen screaming and running in a video posted on social media. Vehicles on a nearby freeway came to a stop.
Thailand's Police chief orders nationwide assistance after a Myanmar quake shakes Thailand, causing a building collapse in Bangkok.
Thailand's capital has been declared a disaster area following a strong earthquake in neighboring Myanmar, Bangkok city hall said on Friday.
Thailand has ordered schools to close nationwide to assess the damage.
Pope Francis offered prayers to the victims of a powerful earthquake in Southeast Asia on Friday, the Vatican said.
To the northeast, the earthquake was felt in China바카라s Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and caused damage and injuries in the city of Ruili on the border with Myanmar, according to Chinese media reports.
(With AP inputs)
