An 8.2 magnitude earthquake at a depth of 10 km has struck central Myanmar. The tremors were felt across its neighbouring countries as far as Thailand, causing a building under construction in the capital city to collapse, with over 70 workers missing.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the tremor struck northwest of the Burmese city of Sagaing, near the city of Mandalay. The earthquake was linked to the Sagaing Fault, one of the most powerful faults located in Southeast Asia, and known as the “Sleeping Giant.”

The fault runs 1,200 km from Myitkyina city in northern Myanmar through several significant cities in the centre of the country, including Taunggyi, Naypyidaw, Bago, and Yangon, and stretching to the Andaman Sea.

At 13.20, It was reported that the centre of the earthquake was 326 km from Pang Mapha District in Thailand’s Mae Hong Son Province. Thailand’s National Disaster Warning Centre reported that a 7.1 magnitude aftershock followed at 13.32.  By 16.00, the Thai Meteorological Department concluded that nine aftershocks had occurred, with the latest at 15.52.

In Bangkok, tremors were felt across the city, causing panic among residents and cracks in several skyscrapers. In addition, a 30-storey building under construction collapsed, trapping 320 construction workers. Over 70 workers are missing, while the exact number of casualties remains unclear.

The earthquake also caused a crane to collapse, and its debris fell near the outbound exit of the Din Daeng Expressway. In addition, it was also reported that Rama II road collapsed. Roads in Bangkok were closed, leading to traffic jams in several areas.

Ramathibodi and Siriraj hospitals evacuated their patients from the buildings after the earthquake occurred. The BTS Skytrain and MRT also announced that they temporarily ceased operation.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said she immediately instructed the Interior Ministry to declare the country an “emergency zone,” warning that more tremors could occur within the next 24 hours. She urged the public to avoid high-rise buildings, use stairs only, and remain calm, while she also instructed schools to send students home.

The collapsed building was going to be the Office of the Auditor General’s new headquarters, with a construction value of over two billion baht.  The project began in 2020 and was undertaken by the ITD-CREC joint venture, a partnership between Italian-Thai Development and China Railway No. 10 (Thailand).

Construction was supervised by the PKW Joint Venture, consisting of P.N. Synchronize, W. and Associates Consultants and KP Consultants and Management, with a contract value of 74 million baht.