Payam Javan: A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Burma and Thailand on Friday, March 28, 2025, causing significant destruction, including the collapse of a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake’s epicenter near Mandalay, Burma, at a depth of 6.2 miles, with a 6.4 magnitude aftershock following shortly after. In Bangkok, the building collapse killed three people and left 90 missing, as captured in dramatic social media footage showing workers fleeing amid a cloud of dust. Burma’s military government declared a state of emergency, launching rescue efforts and humanitarian aid, while Mandalay saw widespread damage, including collapsed structures trapping residents.

The tremor, felt across nearly all of Thailand, sparked chaos in Bangkok, home to 17 million people, with evacuations from high-rise buildings and water spilling from hotel infinity pools. In Burma, a 90-year-old bridge in Sagaing collapsed, and the Mandalay-Yangon highway was damaged, alongside toppled Buddhist shrines in Naypyitaw. Witnesses, including a British tourist in Bangkok, described scenes of panic as buildings swayed and debris fell. Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra convened an emergency meeting to address the crisis, as thousands sought safety in open areas like Benjasiri Park.