Magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit heart of war-ravaged Myanmar

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit the heart of war-ravaged Myanmar on Friday, triggering the collapse of buildings across the region with many feared dead, as authorities in Bangkok declared the capital an “emergency zone", El.kz cites CNN.

The earthquake cut through a vast and varied corner of Southeast Asia, sending terrifying tremors through rural villages caught in the middle of Myanmar’s civil war all the way to the glitzy high-rises of traffic-filled Bangkok. Shaking was even felt across the border in China’s southwestern remote and mountainous Yunnan province.

Rescue officials are now scrambling to respond to the disaster in countries with very different resources.

Myanmar, one of Asia’s poorest nations, that has spent much of its recent history under military rule, has a long and troubled track record of struggling to respond to major natural disasters.

In contrast, neighboring Thailand is far more prosperous and a major tourist destination, with well-resourced and experienced rescue teams.

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