MYANMAR-THAILAND EARTHQUAKE: Thousands Killed after 7.7 Magnitude Quake Rocks Cities, Destroying Buildings and Sparking Fears of Dam Collapse

Thousands are feared dead after a powerful earthquake struck Thailand and Myanmar on Thursday morning, causing widespread destruction and raising concerns about potential dam failures that could result in devastating floods.

The U.S. Geological Survey forecast thousands of losses of lives following the 7.7-magnitude quake, which hit near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, early Friday. The shallow earthquake shook central Myanmar at 13:20 local time and was soon hit by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock just minutes later. Officials at a leading hospital in Naypyidaw, the capital, designated it a "mass casualty area," anticipating a rising death toll as buildings collapsed and debris spread across the city in shocking scenes captured on camera.

Devastation in Thailand and Myanmar

"I haven't seen (something) like this before. We are trying to handle the situation. I'm so exhausted now," a doctor told the AFP news agency. Professor Ian Main, a Seismology and Rock Physics expert at the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, said that the destruction near the earthquake's epicenter is expected to be severe.

This assessment is based on the estimated intensity of ground shaking, as well as population density and the structural vulnerability of buildings.

"The USGS 'PAGER' forecast loss is, sadly, most likely to be in the range 10,000-100,000 fatalities," he said, referring to the American agency's earthquake impact report.

The powerful tremor caused a mosque in Mandalay to collapse, reportedly killing at least ten worshippers.

In Taungoo, central Myanmar, more than 20 children are feared trapped inside the ruins of a collapsed school.

Disturbing footage captured workers in neighboring Thailand fleeing as a 30-story high-rise under construction in Bangkok crumbled around them.

At least three people lost their lives when the skyscraper fell, while local officials reported that dozens of workers have been rescued. However, around 90 remain missing.

In Thailand, a massive cloud of dust and debris billowed through the streets of northern Bangkok as an under-construction high-rise collapsed due to the earthquake.

Workers wearing hard hats and bright orange safety vests were swallowed by the dust as the concrete structure came crashing down, leaving dozens who couldn't escape trapped beneath the rubble.

"I heard people calling for help, saying 'help me'," Worapat Sukthai, deputy police chief of Bang Sue district, told AFP.

"I fear many lives have been lost. We have never experienced an earthquake with such a devastating impact before." At the collapse site, rescuers appeared small against the massive heap of debris and twisted metal, just meters away from the busy Chatuchak Market, a popular tourist destination.

Casualties Could Cross 50,000

Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai told reporters that at least three workers had lost their lives, while 81 others were trapped inside when the building crumbled. Shocked residents across the city evacuated high-rise buildings and hotels, rushing down staircases after the earthquake struck around 1:30 p.m. local time.

Many remained in the streets, seeking shade from the midday sun in the moments following the quake.

Chelsea King, a British expatriate living in Bangkok, told the Daily Mail that security guards quickly escorted her away from her building as the tremors hit. She described witnessing "towering skyscrapers ... visibly swaying."

The earthquake was so powerful that it caused water to spill over from pools, including those perched high above the streets in high-rise buildings as the ground trembled.

Eyewitnesses in Bangkok described scenes of panic, with people rushing onto the streets—many of them hotel guests still in bathrobes and swimwear—as water poured down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel.

In Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city and near the earthquake's epicenter, parts of the historic royal palace and several buildings were damaged, as seen in videos and photos shared on Facebook.

Although the region is seismically active, it has a relatively low population density, with most homes being low-rise structures.

In the Sagaing region, located just southwest of Mandalay, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed, and sections of the highway linking Mandalay to Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, suffered damage.

The Red Cross issued a warning about the stability of major dams, raising concerns over the potential risk of flooding.

According to Beijing's earthquake agency, tremors were also detected in China's southwestern Yunnan province, where the quake was recorded at a magnitude of 7.9.