Bangkok hit by the worst earthquake tremors in nearly 70 years, with at least four dead and more missing. Buildings collapsed, roads were damaged and flights suspended. PM Paetongtarn warns residents to stay on guard for aftershocks as rescue teams search for survivors.
Thailand is still on edge after suffering the effects of the worst regional earthquake in nearly sixty years on Friday. The epicentre of the quake was in the Burmese city of Sagaing. In brief, it registered 7.7 on the Richter scale and hit 10 km underground. The earthquake caused tremors that were felt strongly throughout Thailand particularly in Bangkok, with its tall buildings and elaborate concrete motorway structures. The Thai capital was left in shock and apprehensive as Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra warned people to be on guard for 24 hours.
On Friday afternoon, Thailand was dealing with the aftermath of a powerful series of earthquakes. In short, the first quake hit some 270 km from Mae Sot province in northern Thailand near Myanmar. It struck at 1:20 pm. Shortly afterwards, another hit at 1:27 pm.
Certainly, the earthquakes tremors hit Bangkok as well as other parts of Thailand. In particular, Bangkok’s large condominium towers felt the impact. Indeed, the city suffered significant damage, including the collapse of a 30-floor building in Chatuchak. The structure had been under construction for the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG). Notably, the construction project had a budget of ฿2.1 billion.
At the same time, at least three people have lost their lives in that incident, with some still missing.
Rescue teams search for missing people as death toll begins to rise across affected areas in Thailand
Later, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai was at the scene, and rescue services deployed K9 rescue dogs to locate the missing workers.
In the meantime, in Bang Pho, a crane driver was killed. At length, this happened when the crane disintegrated into the sky and hit a building. Afterwards, his body was thrown to the ground.
In addition, the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Co suspended all departing flights following the earthquake on Friday. However, one hour later, it cancelled the order, allowing the country’s full arrivals and departures to return to normal.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra interrupted a meeting in Phuket to receive briefings on the situation from around Thailand and Bangkok.
Prime Minister, in Phuket, urges the public to remain alert as authorities assess damage across the country
Afterwards, she ordered an SMS messaging system to be available for all Thai nationals. In particular, she urged the public to be ready for a second wave of earthquakes within 24 hours of the original quake.
Meanwhile, in Bangkok, there were reports that a high-rise condominium building in Thonglor was damaged. Specifically, a skywalk between two towers of the building was badly damaged.
Furthermore, students visiting an exhibition at the Siam Square building on Phaya Thai Road were trapped on the upper floors before they were ultimately rescued.
Additionally, the Ramkhamhaeng 2 expressway is reported to have received extensive damage, and one section of the elevated motorway has been closed.
Similarly, other motorways and expressways have also been closed. In particular, the recently reopened Maha Nakhon Expressway has been suspended as a precaution. Previously, that expressway was damaged and reopened after a cleanup operation last week. This followed a devastating construction accident the weekend before.
Damage to buildings and infrastructure forces road closures and disrupts transport in Bangkok
Indeed, this is the worst earthquake disaster to hit Thailand since 1956, when another 7.7 quake hit Myanmar.
Certainly, at that time, there was panic in Bangkok due to collapsing buildings. Significantly, the effects of that earthquake extended to Vietnam.
Afterwards, Thai building standards were tightened to allow tall buildings to withstand such tremors. Certainly, it would appear that on Friday, the city held up quite well. Nonetheless, the city’s BTS transportation and rail systems were shut down for safety.
Red flags along the Mekong as PM Paetongtarn comforts the victims of this week’s Chiang Rai floods
Indeed, many businesses closed down in the capital as workers were told to go home while the public was urged to evacuate shopping centres and commercial premises.
Nevertheless, the death toll from incidents throughout Bangkok and indeed other parts of Thailand is expected to rise.
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