'Were praying when roof caved in': Eyewitnesses recall horror as earthquake collapses buildings in Myanmar and Thailand

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A powerful earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday, causing widespread panic and destruction across Southeast Asia. At least three people died when a mosque collapsed in Myanmar’s Bago region, while 90 remain missing and three are confirmed dead at a high-rise construction site in Thailand, according to Thai Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang.

‘We were praying when the roof caved in’

In the town of Taungnoo, Myanmar, two eyewitnesses described the terrifying moment the quake hit.

“We were saying prayers when the shaking started… Three died on the spot,” one of them told Reuters.

Mandalay residents also reported chaos as buildings crumbled around them.

“I witnessed a five-storey building collapse in front of my eyes,” a resident said. “Everyone in my town is out on the road, and no one dares to go back inside buildings.”

‘We were completely unprepared’

In Bangkok, Amy Clayton, a 26-year-old English teacher, described the terrifying moment the tremors hit her school.

“I felt dizzy, like I was going to pass out,” she said. While walking toward a colleague, they asked, “Can you feel that?”

Moments later, fire alarms blared, and the school’s principal ordered an evacuation over the speaker system.

“Children were crying, some had panic attacks,” Clayton said, adding that the school had never conducted earthquake drills. “We were completely unprepared,” she admitted, noting a colleague called it the first quake they had felt in decades.

Read: Earthquake live updates

Panic grips Bangkok

In Bangkok, the earthquake’s impact was severe. A local described scenes of fear and desperation: “Everyone is scared, children are hungry… sitting outside the houses. The situation is very bad. The Prime Minister has announced an emergency… Please, everyone, pray for Bangkok.”

The Embassy of India in Bangkok has issued an emergency helpline number (+66 618819218) for Indian nationals and confirmed that all embassy staff are safe.

“So far, no untoward incident involving any Indian citizen has been reported,” the embassy said.

Why was the quake so destructive

Dr OP Mishra, Director of the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), explained the science behind the disaster.

“The earthquake occurred along the Sagaing Fault in Myanmar—a 1,200 km-long fault known for producing quakes above magnitude 7,” he said.

According to Dr Mishra, the main quake struck at 11:50 am, followed by three powerful aftershocks—one measuring 7.0 magnitude, and others at 5.0 and 4.9.

“Bangkok sits on an alluvial belt where the chances of liquefaction are high. This weakened the soil, causing buildings to collapse,” he added.

Rescue operations are ongoing as authorities brace for further aftershocks in the coming hours.

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