Reports have emerged this morning that air traffic control tower in Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar has collapsed due to a massive earthquake earlier today. Footage has also been shared of Mandalay Airport during the 8.2 magnitude that struck the Sagaing Region in northwestern Myanmar.
In the clip, people are seen running in fear with commotion and noise all around. Damage has also been reported in Naypyidaw, the administrative capital of the ruling military junta. The tremors were so strong they were felt in Thailand and China. The Thai Meteorological Department confirmed that an earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday afternoon.
The earthquake was approximately 392 kilometres from Pang Ma Pha in Mae Hong Son province. The US Geological Survey and Germany’s GFZ centre for geosciences said the incident was at a shallow 6.2 miles, with an epicentre in Myanmar, according to preliminary reports.
Horrifying videos shared online show people scrambling for their lives as apartment buildings cave in on themselves. Other clips showed people running from collapsing apartment blocks in terror.
The military regime in Myanmar earlier said that people need to be aware of potential aftershocks over the next few hours. A state of emergency has been declared in Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway, the north-east of Shan State, Bago and the Naypyidaw region.
There are a number of collapsed buildings, including a hospital, hotel, bridge, nursery schools, and roads were also torn up. Brit Lindle Markwell, who has been in Bangkok in Thailand for two years, described terrifying scenes over there.
She said some of her friends have lived in the Thai capital “for decades” and have never experienced anything as strong as this before. She said: “We have lived here two years and haven’t experienced one like this.
“There’s sometimes been milder ones. We are used to having earthquakes here in Bangkok. One of my colleagues has been here for decades and cannot remember anything like this.”
She added: “One of my colleagues was on one of the bridges of the transport system earlier and it was swaying and he also heard glass shattering in one of the shopping malls next door. There’s been a lot of confusion.
“Some buildings are starting to let people back in, especially the more low-rise places around me. But the roads are gridlocked. We can’t really get anywhere at the moment, the transport system has been suspended.”
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While an expert has spoken out about the earthquake in , saying that social and political factors are the reason for people surviving or not. Dr Leslie Mabon, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Systems, The Open University, said: “This earthquake has only just happened, and information about damage and casualties – especially from Myanmar – is still emerging.
“However, as with any event like this anywhere in the world, it’s important to remember that there’s no such thing as a natural disaster. In any country, a very wide range of social and political factors such as income, access to information, building codes, and emergency response systems all influence who survives, and who is exposed to harm, from any kind of natural hazard.”
“What will be especially important to watch out for in the coming weeks and days is how quickly help gets to the poorest and most vulnerable people, as well as who and where has been affected most badly.”
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