Myanmar Quake: 694 Feared Dead, Says Military Leader as Rescue Efforts Continue

Rescue efforts went on Saturday after a strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar. The quake was preceded by another 4.2 Richter Scale quake late Friday evening. A Myanmar military official, as reported by the media, said that at least 694 people had died, while an American agency warned that the number of fatalities could exceed 10,000.

The National Center for Seismology said the 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck late on Friday, only hours after the huge earthquake hit Southeast Asia.

The effects of the quakes were felt beyond Myanmar, with the shocks being strong in many parts of India, such as Meghalaya and Manipur. The neighboring country of Bangladesh also felt the quake in Dhaka and Chattogram, and some parts of China were also affected.

According to official records to date, more than 150 individuals have been confirmed to have died, while numerous hundreds more were injured by the initial earthquake.

In a statement on Friday, Myanmar's military junta regime announced that it had declared a state of emergency in six areas due to the catastrophe, according to reports from the media.

The authorities expect an increasing death count as extensive search and rescue operations are ongoing across Myanmar and Thailand.

The quake was also experienced in Bangkok, where a high-rise building under construction collapsed, killing at least ten people and injuring nine. Police said over 100 people are still missing.

After the 7.7 magnitude earthquake, Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra declared Bangkok an 'emergency zone.'

In a statement from his office, PM Shinawatra "immediately ordered the Ministry of Interior to declare Bangkok an emergency zone and instructed all provinces to handle the situation as if it were a national emergency in order to expedite immediate public assistance if needed."

"The Prime Minister is going back to Bangkok immediately and has called on the public to avoid high-rise buildings, take the stairs rather than the elevator, and remain calm. All government agencies have been alerted, and schools have been asked to send students home early," the statement continued.