This violent 7.7 magnitude earthquake that happened early Monday morning in Asia is causing widespread and severe consequences in Myanmar, southern China, and northern Thailand. The tremor that hit at 3:42 a.m. local time has already taken many lives, injured hundreds, and made people trapped beneath damaged buildings. People in charge are racing to determine the extent of the emergency while rescue efforts go on in very difficult conditions.
As reported by the USGS, the place where the earthquake began was in the mountains close to the border between Myanmar and China’s Yunnan Province. It ended up at a shallow level, about 10 kilometers underground, bringing stronger shaking and heavy damage to the structures. The earthquake was felt clearly in places like Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, so panicked residents were seen leaving buildings as soon as the first tremors struck early in the morning. Authorities made sure that people in Thai communities were relocated as a safety measure.
Myanmar is the country that has experienced the most from this disaster. A state of emergency has been declared nationwide by the government; especially in Shan State, the city of Lashio has been badly hit and destroyed. Local officials’ first update states at least 48 people were killed, over 300 were injured, and still many are missing under the wreckage. Firefighters, the military, and volunteers are racing to help people who are still trapped, digging through the rubble of collapsed houses, apartment blocks, and buildings with very little equipment.
We heard the noise and all of a sudden our room started to shake. As the earthquake shook Lashio, Myo Thant ran out with his beloved ones because the walls cracked and the ground shook. According to many witnesses, the quake shook the ground immensely, and because they could not see, hundreds of people awoke and ran for safety as debris fell around them.
It was in several rural areas of China’s Yunnan Province that the earthquake made old and limited infrastructure especially vulnerable, and it took longer for emergency teams to reach the places where people needed help. Roads are broken, power lines fell, and communication connections were disrupted, which makes it hard to help remote places. Teams using drones and heat-seeking technology are being sent by the authorities in a bid to find those caught under collapse.
At the same time, in Thailand, while the accident appears to be less serious, the quake frightened people living in major cities. Both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai buildings shook for several moments, which triggered evacuations of people from hotels, hospitals, and tall apartments. Today, Thai disaster response teams are closely observing the location for aftershocks and checking for problems in local buildings and structures.
Aftershocks may keep occurring for days or weeks, posing a danger to susceptible buildings and complicated the way people are trying to recover from the disaster. Groups supporting humanity in Asia are planning their reactions, and it is possible that international aid will be sought when the extent of the disaster shows.
When the sun lights up the places hit by the disaster, images show collapsed schools, overturned temples, and people living in tents. Because they are afraid of more tremors, many who survived this quake have gathered in fields and at community centers, since their homes were destroyed.
The region needs to prepare better for seismic activity and consider creating strong building codes because of this earthquake. At this stage, the main goal is to get the victims out of disaster areas, treat the injured, and assist the thousands now struggling with the situation they woke up to in the middle of the night.