The US Geological Survey said that a 7.7 earthquake with a force of richter occurred in central Myanmar on March 28, damaging buildings and shaking cities across Southeast Asia, as far as Thailand and Vietnam.
The earthquake occurred near Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, at around 12:50 local time. A 6.4-magnitude earthquake was recorded 12 minutes later at a location near the center of the earthquake.
The size of 7.7 degrees richter is considered strong. At a depth of about 10km, this was a relatively shallow earthquake, so it was likely to cause severe shaking.
After the earthquake, in Mandalay - the former capital of Myanmar, the country's Buddhist center, many people were taken to the city's main hospital for emergency care.
Photos taken in Mandalay and shared on social media showed a bridge collapsed into the river. Other photos show many buildings damaged by the earthquake.
There are currently no details on the extent of damage and casualties in Myanmar.
"We have begun a search and gone around Yangon to check the casualties and damage," said RTE, an officer with the Myanmar Fire Agency. So far, we have not had any information."
Social media posts from Mandalay show many collapsed buildings and debris scattered across the city's streets.
A witness in Mandalay told Reuters: "We all ran out of the house when the shaking occurred. I witnessed a 5-storey building collapse right before my eyes. Everyone in my town was on the streets and no one dared to return inside the house."
Another witness in the city said that a tea shop had collapsed and many people were trapped inside. "We couldn't get in. The situation is very bad" - this witness said.
A third witness said that a church in the city was severely damaged by the earthquake.
According to the BBC, a video of the earthquake moment recorded at Mandalay Airport in Myanmar is circulating on social media.
The clip shows people screaming and bowing down on the airport runway, with a plane parked behind. In the video, there is a reminder: "Sit down! Don't run! ".
