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A powerful earthquake struck Myanmar, the capital of Burma, as well as its neighboring country Thailand on Friday, destroying buildings, a bridge and a dam.
At least 144 people died in Myanmar, where photos and videos from two hard-hit cities showed extensive damage, while in the Thai capital, at least eight people were reported dead after a high-rise building under construction collapsed.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake, with an epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, struck at midday and was followed by a strong 6.4-magnitude aftershock.
The full extent of the deaths, injuries and destruction was not immediately clear, especially in Myanmar, one of the world's poorest countries, which is mired in civil war and where information is strictly controlled.
The head of Myanmar's military government said in a televised speech on Friday night that at least 144 people were killed and another 730 injured.
"The death toll is expected to rise," said General Min Aung Hlaing.
Some photos from the capital, Naypyidaw, showed several buildings used as accommodation for officials destroyed by the earthquake, and rescue teams rescuing victims from the rubble.
The Myanmar government said there was a high demand for blood in the worst-hit areas. Images of warped and cracked roads in Mandalay and damaged highways, as well as the collapse of a bridge and dam, raised further concerns about how rescuers could reach some areas of a country already suffering from a widespread humanitarian crisis.
In Bangkok, a building collapsed, generating a cloud of dust
Near the popular Chatuchak market in Bangkok, a 33-storey building under construction, with a crane on top, collapsed in a cloud of dust.
In a video posted on social media, spectators could be seen screaming and running. The sound of sirens echoed throughout downtown Bangkok and vehicles filled the streets, blocking some of the already congested streets of the city.
The elevated transport system and the subway stopped working. While the area where the earthquake occurred is prone to earthquakes, they are not usually so large and it is rare for them to be felt in the Thai capital, which is located in a river delta and has a moderate risk of earthquakes.
April Kanichawanakul, who works in an office building in Bangkok, at first did not even realize that it was an earthquake, the first she had experienced.
"I thought I was dizzy," she said. She and her colleagues ran down from the tenth floor of their building and waited outside for the signal that it was safe to go back inside. A building topped by a crane collapsed in a cloud of dust.
In Bangkok, at least three people died in the collapse of the building and 90 were missing, according to Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who did not offer further details on the rescue efforts, but emergency services reported that so far seven people had been rescued from the area.
At least two of the dead were construction workers who died from falling debris, rescuer Songwut Wangpon told the press. The building was being constructed by China Railway Construction Corporation for Thailand's government auditor general.
The screams and panic generated among the Thai population
The Bangkok city government declared the city a disaster zone to facilitate the response. The metropolitan area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.
"Suddenly, the whole building started to move. There was immediately screaming and a lot of panic," said Fraser Morton, a Scottish tourist who was in one of Bangkok's many shopping malls.
"At first, I started to walk calmly, but then the building really started to move. Yes, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running in the opposite direction on the escalators."
Like Morton, thousands of people flocked to Benjasiri Park from nearby shopping malls, skyscrapers and apartment buildings along Bangkok's busy Sukhumvit Road.
Many were on the phone trying to contact their loved ones, while others sought shelter from the hot afternoon sun.