A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, with its tremors felt as far as Thailand and China. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake hit at around 12:50 p.m. local time, with its epicenter located 16 kilometers northwest of Sagaing at a depth of 10 kilometers. A strong aftershock measuring 6.4-magnitude followed approximately 12 minutes later.

???????????? Powerful earthquakes around 7.7 and 6.4 on Richter scale have been recorded in Myanmar. Hundreds of houses have been destroyed at the epicenter of the earthquake.

???????? Earthquake also affected Thailand: in Bangkok high-rise buildings are being evacuated, metro has stopped. pic.twitter.com/HPaie0Mu3o

— MAKS 24 ???????????? (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) March 28, 2025

Residents in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, described the shaking as intense and sudden, prompting many to flee their buildings in panic. "We felt the quake for about a minute, then we ran outside," one witness said. Social media posts from Mandalay showed collapsed buildings and debris scattered across streets, although the extent of the damage remains unclear. The earthquake also caused roads to buckle in Naypyidaw, Myanmar’s capital, with parts of ceilings falling inside buildings, AFP journalists reported.

The tremors extended beyond Myanmar’s borders, shaking cities in neighboring countries. In Thailand, the quake was felt in the northern city of Chiang Mai and the capital Bangkok, where residents evacuated high-rise buildings. A witness in Chiang Mai said, "I felt it for about ten seconds before rushing onto the street." Some metro and light rail services in Bangkok were suspended as authorities assessed the situation. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra cut short an official visit to Phuket to hold an emergency meeting following the earthquake.

In China, residents in the southwestern province of Yunnan and as far as Shaanxi also reported feeling the tremors. The Beijing earthquake agency measured the quake at 7.9 in magnitude.

Myanmar sits along the Sagaing Fault, a seismically active region where six earthquakes of 7.0 magnitude or higher occurred between 1930 and 1956. In 2016, a 6.8-magnitude quake in Bagan killed three people and damaged ancient temples. The country’s ongoing civil conflict has weakened its infrastructure and medical system, raising concerns about its ability to respond to natural disasters.

Authorities in Myanmar and neighboring countries are continuing to assess the impact of the earthquake, with further updates expected as information becomes available.