Naypyidaw, Myanmar: A strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar on Friday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said, buckling roads in the capital Naypyidaw and with tremors felt in China and Thailand.
The tremor's epicentre was located 16 kilometres (10 miles) northwest of the city of Sagaing at a depth of 10 kilometres around 12:50 pm local time (0620 GMT), the USGS said. Some metro and light rail services were suspended in Bangkok.
AFP journalists in Naypyidaw said roads were buckled by the force of the tremors and chunks of ceilings fell from buildings.
Tremors were also felt through northern Thailand and down to the capital Bangkok, where residents ran into the streets as buildings shook.
People stand outside an office building in #Bangkok after a powerful 7.7 magnitude #earthquake hit central Myanmar on Friday, with tremors felt south into Thailand. Photos: AFP
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"I heard it and I was sleeping in the house, I ran as far as I could in my pyjamas out of the building," Duangjai, a resident of the popular northern tourist city Chiang Mai, told AFP.
Tremors were also felt in China's southwest Yunnan province, according to Beijing's quake agency, which said the jolt measured 7.9 in magnitude.
Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or more struck between 1930 and 1956 near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the centre of the country, according to the USGS.
A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake in the ancient capital Bagan in central Myanmar killed three people in 2016, also toppling spires and crumbling temple walls at the tourist destination.
