A powerful earthquake rocked central Myanmar on March 28, causing disruptions on the roads of the capital Naypyidaw, damaging buildings and forcing people to flee to the streets of neighboring Thailand.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the 7.7 Richter earthquake occurred in the northwest of Sagaing City, Myanmar. A few minutes later, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake occurred.
"I was sleeping at home when I heard a noise and ran as fast as I could out of the building in a sleeping suit," Duangjai, a resident of the famous tourist city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, told AFP.
According to AFP reporters, many ceilings fell from broken buildings and roads in the capital Naypyidaw of Myanmar.
A group of AFP reporters were present at the National Museum in Naypyidaw when the earthquake occurred and the building began to shake.
debris fell from the ceiling and cracked walls while museum staff ran outside. Some people trembled and cried, others held mobile phones to try to contact their relatives. The ground shook violently for about half a minute and then stabilized.
There were no immediate reports of casualties after the earthquake. However, the earthquake caused panic in neighboring cities in northern Thailand and reached the capital Bangkok.
Sai, a 76-year-old resident in Chiang Mai, was working at a convenience store when it began to shake.
"I and other customers quickly ran out of the store. This was the strongest earthquake I have ever experienced in my life," he said.
Quake-prone earthquakes are generally widespread in Myanmar, where six strong earthquakes of 7.0 richter or more occurred between 1930 and 2016 near the Sagaing fault, running north to south across the country's center, according to the USGS.
A 6.8-magnitude earthquake in the ancient capital of Bagan in central Myanmar killed three people in 2016, and knocked down the towers and walls of the temple at the tourist destination.
Experts say the rapid development of Myanmar's cities, combined with degraded infrastructure and poor urban planning, also makes the country's most populous areas vulnerable to earthquakes and other natural disasters.
