The earthquake occurred at 3:42 a.m. local time, with its epicenter located in a mountainous region along the border of Myanmar and Yunnan Province, China, at a depth of roughly 10 kilometers, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor was also significantly felt in the cities of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai in Thailand, where mass evacuations took place.
Myanmar, which has been the most severely affected country thus far, has declared a state of emergency in multiple regions after confirming at least 48 fatalities and over 300 injuries, with many individuals still unaccounted for.
In the city of Lashio, structures have entirely collapsed, and rescue teams are racing against time to locate survivors amidst the debris.
“We heard a loud noise, and suddenly everything began to shake. The walls cracked, and the ground moved like waves,” recounted Myo Thant, a resident of the impacted area, who was able to escape with his family prior to their home collapsing.