A 7.7-magnitude earthquake has hit central Myanmar, with tremors felt in Thailand, China and India. Images from the ground reveal collapsed buildings and human devastation in Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay, and even as far as Thailand’s capital, Bangkok.

At least 144 people have died in Myanmar, with hundreds more injured, and those numbers are expected to rise. Fatalities have also been reported in Thailand.

Ground movement began at about mid-day local time (06:00 GMT) on Friday, according to the US Geological Survey. Several smaller aftershocks, ranging between 4.5 and 6.5 in magnitude, have followed.

There are questions over the current government’s ability to respond to a disaster amid the ongoing civil war and the resulting humanitarian crisis.

The country, formerly known as Burma, has been run by a military junta since a 2021 coup that deposed the democratically elected ruling party.

Information is scarce under Myanmar’s military regime, but a rescue worker in Mandalay told the BBC’s Burmese Service there was “enormous” damage and casualties “at least in the hundreds”. The Red Cross also confirmed “significant damage”.

Myanmar has declared a state of emergency in six regions and appealed for international aid.