Thousands of people are feared dead and many more missing following a massive 8.2 magnitude earthquake that raised buildings to the ground across Myanmar and Thailand.

High-rise buildings were reduced to piles of rubble and vast clouds of dust were launched into the air above Thai capital Bangkok this morning when the earthquake radiated from around 16km (10 miles) north-west of the city of Sagaing at a depth of 10km, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The tremors, which were immediately followed by a massive 6.2 magnitude sibling, has caused “massive damage”, crumbling a temple and killing its monk worshippers gathered inside. The worshippers inside are just 10 of the between 10,000 and potentially 100,000 the USGS fears could have died in the aftermath. Thousands of others are feared trapped below the rubble of toppled high rise buildings, with emergency officials having launched a major operation to save any survivors.

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One video of a building site posted to social media this morning showed a construction site being torn from its foundations as workers ran for safety. In another clip posted to X, formerly Twitter, showing the earthquake’s epicentre, the iconic Ava Bridge in Mandalay collapsed into the Irrawaddy River.

The USGS has warned that up to thousands of people may have died in the aftermath, with a 34 percent probability of deaths between 10,000 and 100,000. Issuing a red alert, the service said: “Red alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread. Past red alerts have required a national or international response.”

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. Alarms went off in buildings as the earthquake hit around 1.30pm local time, and startled residents were evacuated down staircases of high-rise buildings and hotels in densely populated central Bangkok.

They remained in the streets, seeking shade from the midday sun in the minutes after the quake. In the capital Naypyitaw, the earthquake damaged religious shrines, sending parts toppling to the ground, and some homes. There were no immediate reports of the effect of the earthquake in Myanmar, which is in the middle of a civil war.

Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention said the earthquake was felt in almost all regions of the country. One person who was on the Bangkok BTS Skytrain posted on social media about how the metro had “started shaking like an earthquake” and that it appeared “ashes are falling” mid-ride.

Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, who was in one of Bangkok’s many malls shopping for camera equipment when the quake hit, said people started “screaming” and panicking. He said: “All of a sudden the whole building began to move, immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic.

“I just started walking calmly at first but then the building started really moving, yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running the wrong way down the escalators, lots of banging and crashing inside the mall.”

Like thousands of others in downtown Bangkok, Morton sought refuge in Benjasiri Park – away from the tall buildings all around. Mr Morton continued: “I got outside and then looked up at the building and the whole building was moving, dust and debris, it was pretty intense. Lots of chaos.”

They wrote: “Not sure what’s happening in Bangkok right now; I was on the BTS when it started shaking like an earthquake at a stop and we all got off to see this in the distance. Past Chatuchak Park from the Mo Chit @BTS_SkyTrain station… now looking like ashes are falling. Anyone with info…”

A video taken at the scene showed the transport violently rocking from side to side as panic-stricken passengers waiting to embark braced for the tremors. Thailand’s prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has declared Bangkok an “emergency zone”, and has advised anyone living in tall buildings to evacuate.

The USGS has said that buildings in Myanmar and Thailand are especially vulnerable to the effects of earthquakes. The service noted: “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.”

Unconfirmed reports from emergency services attending a building collapse from Phahonyothin Fire and Rescue Station suggested several people were left trapped, with officers preparing to “provide urgent assistance”. Bangkok police say it is not currently known whether there were any casualties as a result of the dramatic collapse.

Another video circulated on social media showed the multi-story building with a crane on top collapsing into a cloud of dust, while onlookers screamed and ran.

Another high-rise building in Ruili, in the Chinese Yunnan province, lost bricks and stones, Xiaoxiang Morning News reported this morning. One man speaking to the service, a Mr Ye from Hunan who was in Ruili, adjacent to Myanmar, at the time, said he was about to get in his car when it started violently shaking.

He told the service he ran away quickly before seeing other people descending down from their building.

In a video sent to reporters, water from an infinity pool could be seen sloshing over the top of the building’s roof, which Mr Ye said appeared “like a waterfall”. He said: “The water on the top of the building was falling like a waterfall. Now everyone has run outside. I don’t know what to do, find an open place to stay first.”

The service and Germany’s GFZ centre for geosciences said the incident was at a shallow 6.2 miles, with an epicentre in neighbouring Myanmar, according to preliminary reports. The epicentre was in central Myanmar, 30 miles east of the city of Monywa. There were no immediate reports of the effect of the earthquake in Myanmar, which is in the middle of a civil war.

The greater Bangkok area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments. Alarms went off in buildings as the earthquake hit around 1.30pm local time, and startled residents were evacuated down staircases of high-rise buildings and hotels in densely populated central Bangkok.

They remained in the streets, seeking shade from the midday sun in the minutes after the quake. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Police said they were responding to the scene near Bangkok’s popular Chatuchak Market, and had no immediate information on how many workers were on the site at the time of the collapse.

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 neighbouring Myanmar, according to preliminary reports. The Japan Meteorological Agency has reported there are currently not thought to be any risks of a possible Tsunami.

Bangkok’s Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has ordered officials to establish an earthquake incident command centre at the Rattanakosin Room, in the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

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