Huge earthquake hits main cities as buildings collapse and evacuations ordered
Buldings have been seen collapsing in Thailand after a huge 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck. Evacuations have been ordered throughout the country, wiuth the epicentre thought to be Bangkok.
The quake is thought to have originated in Myanmar, however Thailand is where the damage has been caused. In one dramatic video, a building still under contstruction was captured collapsing as workers fled to safety.
So far, no confirmation of any casualties suffered has been given by Thai officials. According to The Thaiger, tremors have also been felt in Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai, as social media clips showed infinity pools in one hi-rise building flooding out over the top.
Automatic measuring by the China Earthqake Network Centre and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have pinpointed the magnitude at 7.7, adding it struck 16 kilometers (10 miles) north northwest of the town of Sagaing, in Myanmar.
The first tremors were felt a around 12.50pm, with the strongest shaking followed by 6.4 magnitude aftershocks, which hit just 12 minutes after the first event.
The USGS has said that buildings in Myanmar and Thailand are especially vulnerable to the effects of earthquakes.
A spokesman said: “Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are informal (metal, timber, GI etc.) and unreinforced brick masonry construction.”
Aftershock warnings have also been issued with anyone in Bangkok being told to “stay in a safe” between 2pm and 3pm local time.
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