 "Thai King's volunteers work near the site of a collapsed building after a strong earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, earthquake monitoring services said, which affected Bangkok as well with hundreds of people pouring out of buildings in the Thai capital in panic after the tremors, in Bangkok, Thailand, March 28, 2025. REUTERS")
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar on Friday, causing panic among citizens as people rushed out of buildings in the city of Yangon and also Bangkok, the capital of neighbouring Thailand.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake was of 7.7 magnitude and at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). It was followed by a powerful aftershock.
The agency said the epicentre was located 17.2 km from Mandalay, a city that houses about 1.2 million people.
Three residents of Mandalay told Reuters they saw multiple buildings collapsing as scores ran out onto the streets when the quake hit.
As details of the earthquake pour in, here are five earthquakes above magnitude 6 that struck countries in the past five years:
2024 New Zealand
Last year, New Zealand was hit by an earthquake measuring 6.9 magnitude on the Richter scale. The earthquake struck off the coast of New Zealand, causing widespread shaking across the South Island.
While there were no casualties reported, the earthquake caused significant structural damage in several parts of the country.
2023 Turkey-Syria
On the fateful day of February 6, 2023, a powerful earthquake of 7.8 magnitude struck Turkey near the Syrian border.
One of the most devastating earthquakes in recent history, this quake caused massive destruction in Turkey and Syria. Over 50,000 people lost their lives, and millions were displaced, leading to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the region.
2022 Indonesia
In January 2022, an earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck Indonesia’s West Java, causing at least 20 deaths and injuring at least hundreds of people. It caused extensive damage in the towns of Cianjur and surrounding areas. Landslides and building collapses were significant challenges during the aftermath.
2021 Haiti
An earthquake of 7.2 magnitude struck southern Haiti on August 14, 2021, leading to widespread devastation and more than 2,200 deaths.
Thousands of buildings were damaged, and over 12,000 people were injured. It was one of the most powerful earthquakes to hit the region in decades.