A massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar early Friday, sending violent tremors through the region and triggering panic in major cities, including Mandalay. The powerful quake, centered near the historically rich Sagaing region, was felt as far as Thailand and China, toppling structures and disrupting communications.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as buildings swayed violently, forcing residents to flee into the streets. In Mandalay—home to over a million people and ancient cultural sites—frightened crowds rushed from shaking high-rises while dust clouds billowed over the city. Social media footage captured the moment a key bridge over the Irrawaddy River crumbled into the water, sending massive plumes of spray into the air.

The quake’s impact reached Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, nearly 400 miles away. “It hit without warning—everything started shaking violently,” one resident said. “We barely had time to react before everyone was running outside.” Communications were briefly cut off in parts of the city before services were restored.

The disaster struck as Myanmar grapples with a brutal civil war following the 2021 military coup. The Sagaing region, already ravaged by conflict, now faces compounded devastation, with damaged roads and military checkpoints hindering emergency response efforts.

Tremors rippled across borders, rattling buildings in northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai and parts of China’s Yunnan province. In Chiang Mai, one resident recounted, “My entire apartment shook—I thought it would collapse. I ran outside immediately and saw others doing the same.”

With its fragile infrastructure and ongoing political turmoil, Myanmar remains dangerously vulnerable to natural disasters. Authorities have yet to release official casualty figures, but fears grow over the quake’s toll in one of Asia’s most crisis-stricken nations.