A towering cloud of dust engulfed northern Bangkok on Friday afternoon as a 30-story government building under construction crumbled to the ground following a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake in neighboring Myanmar. At least three workers are confirmed dead, while 81 remain trapped in the twisted wreckage, according to Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.

Powerful 7.7-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Myanmar and Thailand, Causing Widespread Damage

Panicked construction workers and nearby residents fled in terror as the State Audit Office building collapsed near Chatuchak district. Witnesses described people leaping into vehicles or sprinting down debris-littered streets. “The whole structure came down like a house of cards,” said one shopkeeper who captured the disaster on his phone.

Hundreds feared dead as quake hits #Myanmar and #Thailand, with dozens trapped in collapsed Bangkok building.#earthquake #bangkokearthquake pic.twitter.com/gVptspqk3o

— Imran (@emrancaan) March 28, 2025

The quake—triggered by movement along Myanmar’s Sagaing Fault—sent violent tremors through Bangkok, forcing mass evacuations of high-rises across the capital. Governor Chadchart Sittipunt established an emergency command center as rescue teams with sniffer dogs and heavy machinery rushed to the site.

Footage like this always reminds me of 9-11 & the WTC. Among images now circulating from the just happened #Myanmar/#Thailand #earthquake is this 🙏: Sharing w/ deepest condolences. Initial reports of dozens missing in #bangkokearthquake building collapsepic.twitter.com/SkB045xYZb

— 🚶🏻Curtis S. Chin (@CurtisSChin) March 28, 2025

Kasetsart University engineering professor Sutthisak Soralump warned the public to brace for potential aftershocks up to 6.6 magnitude. “Bangkok’s soft soil makes buildings particularly vulnerable,” he said, noting cracks had already been found in several structures. The same fault caused devastating quakes in 1930 and 1956.

Bangkok Declared Emergency Zone After Deadly 7.7-Magnitude Quake

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, cutting short a Phuket trip, urged citizens to avoid unstable buildings. Meanwhile, hospitals across the city reported influxes of injured residents as night fell on a capital still reeling from its worst seismic disaster in decades.

-Thailand News (TN)