'Heard People Screaming For Help': Witnesses Recount Horror As Deadly Earthquake Rattles Bangkok, Myanmar
One of the most dramatic scenes unfolded near Bangkok’s Chatuchak market, where a multi-storey construction building collapsed, trapping 81 workers inside
A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand on Friday, causing widespread destruction and panic. The tremors were felt across the region, with China, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and India also reporting seismic activity.
The earthquake, followed by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock, claimed at least 20 lives and trapped dozens of workers under a collapsed building in Bangkok. Eyewitnesses from both countries have shared terrifying accounts of the tremor’s impact.
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In Thailand, one of the most dramatic scenes unfolded near Bangkok’s Chatuchak market, where a multi-storey construction building collapsed, trapping 81 workers inside. Authorities confirmed that at least three people were killed in the collapse.
Bangkok Building Collapse Shock
The construction site of the new 30-storey government building crumbled into a cloud of dust when the quake struck, causing people to scramble to escape, jumping into cars or fleeing on foot in panic.
“I heard people calling for help, saying ‘help me’," said Worapat Sukthai, the deputy police chief of Bang Sue district. “We estimate that hundreds of people are injured but we are still determining the number of casualties."
“I fear many lives have been lost. We have never experienced an earthquake with such a devastating impact before," Sukthai added.
Many witnesses also described the panic that followed the quake. “I was shopping inside a mall when I noticed some signs moving, so I quickly ran outside," said Attapong Sukyimnoi, a broker.
“I knew I had to get to an open space — it was instinct," Sukyimnoi narrated.
Another witness, Fraser Morton, a Scottish tourist, described the chaos inside a Bangkok shopping mall, saying, “I just started walking calmly at first but then the building started really moving… a lot of screaming, a lot of panic."
In the moments following the earthquake, thousands of people poured into parks and open spaces, fearful of aftershocks. “It was chaotic… even the water splashed out of the pool," recalled hotel receptionist Baitoey Pradit Sa On from Chiang Mai, where the tremor was also strongly felt.
Another witness, April Kanichawanakul, who works in an office building in Bangkok’s city center, had a late realisation that it was actually an earthquake. “I just thought I was dizzy," she said.
Myanmar Hospitals Overwhelmed With Casualties
Meanwhile, in Myanmar, the quake wreaked even greater devastation. With the country already grappling with a civil war, the earthquake has added a heavy toll.
Myanmar’s military government leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, confirmed that at least 144 people have been killed, with over 730 others injured in the powerful tremor. “The death toll and number of injuries are expected to rise," he stated.
Hospitals in the capital, Naypyidaw, were overwhelmed with casualties. Hundreds of injured individuals were brought to emergency rooms, many covered in dust and blood, as medical staff struggled to keep up with the volume of victims.
“This is a mass casualty area," a hospital official said. A doctor working at the facility said, “I haven’t seen anything like this before. We are trying to handle the situation. I’m so exhausted now."
Zin Mar Aung, Myanmar’s shadow foreign minister, described the scale of the disaster, calling for urgent international assistance. “We need humanitarian and technical assistance from the international community," he said. “It’s very serious."
The earthquake also caused significant damage to Myanmar’s infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and public buildings.
“The bridge that connects Mandalay to Sagaing has collapsed. This will cause logistical issues," said Marie Manrique of the International Federation of the Red Cross. The Red Cross also expressed concern over large dams in the region, with reports of possible structural damage.
(With inputs from agencies)
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