Myanmar Thailand earthquake news latest updates: A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar on Friday (March 28), with the epicentre located near the city of Mandalay, rocking neighbouring Thailand and other regions in South and Southeast Asia. Dozens are dead,  multi-storey buildings and bridges collapsed, and people panicked in Bangkok in Thailand, Delhi-NCR in India and other cities and towns. 

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The quakes wrought widespread damage, particularly in Myanmar, where buildings fell onto their sides. Roads cracked open, and the well-known Ava bridge collapsed near the epicentre. Here is what we know so far:

Earthquake details: When, where 

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Besides Myanmar and Thailand, the tremor and aftershocks were felt in parts of India, Bangladesh, Laos, Vietnam, and China.

Main details

Magnitude: 7.7 

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Time: The quake struck at midday (local time) in Myanmar

Depth - 10 km (6.2 miles), according to the US Geological Survey
Epicentre - 16km (10 miles) northwest of the city of Sagaing, which is about 17.2 km (10.7 miles) from Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, which has a population of about 1.5 million.

Myanmar Thailand earthquake: Extent of damage and destruction 

>  Buildings, bridges and other property have been damaged in Myanmar and Thailand

> In the Thai capital city of Bangkok, an underconstruction building collapsed, killing at least 43 people and trapping dozens of others. The collapse took place in the Chatuchak District of Bangkok. Images posted on Facebook showed construction workers fleeing.

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> It's feared that there will be larger casualties in Bangkok, as its buildings are not usually made earthquake-proof
> A Bangkok rooftop pool collapsed into waterfall

>  Roads have buckled in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw

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> Images of heavily damaged buildings in Mandalay in Myanmar were shared on social media

> The quake turned a major hospital in the Myanmar capital Naypyidaw into a "mass casualty area". The entrance of the emergency department collapsed. People at the 1,000-bed facility are being treated outside. Some writhed in pain, others lay still as relatives sought to comfort them.

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> Huge cracks appeared in Naypyidaw roads 

>  Residents in Chiang Mai, Thailand, experienced a power outage after the earthquake.

Thailand, Myanmar declare emergency

The Myanmar junta has declared a state of emergency in affected regions. In a rare move, the junta also sought help from foreign countries.

Thai authorities have declared a state of emergency in Bangkok, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said.

How the Asia quake was felt in India

> Tremors were felt in India's North East, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh as well as Delhi NCR.

> In the northeastern state of Meghalaya, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake was recorded by the National Centre for Seismology.

India on standby to assist in Myanmar quake relief: PM Modi

India was ready to offer "all possible assistance" to Myanmar and Thailand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday. "Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone," Modi wrote on social media platform X. "India stands ready to offer all possible assistance. In this regard, asked our authorities to be on standby."

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India has a history of supporting other countries after earthquakes:  Nepal in 2015, Indonesia in 2018, Afghanistan in 2022 and Turkey in 2023.

How common are earthquakes in Myanmar?

Earthquakes are relatively more common in Myanmar, compared to Thailand. Between 1930 and 1956, there were six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude near the Sagaing Fault, which runs through the centre of the country, AFP news agency reported citing the USGS.

Neighbouring Thailand, however, is not earthquake-prone and historically only felt the aftershocks of Myanmar quakes.

(With inputs from agencies)