Powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake in Myanmar sends tremors to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
A magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Myanmar at 1:20 pm (Vietnam time) on Friday, with tremors felt as far as Ho Chi Minh City, according to the Institute of Geophysics.
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the earthquake at 7.7 on the Richter scale.
In contrast, Germany’s GFZ Helmholtz Center for Geosciences reported a magnitude of 6.9 in Myanmar and 7.3 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Nguyen Xuan Anh, director of the Institute of Geophysics, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday that the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.3 and occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers.
The earthquake’s epicenter was initially located at 21.90 degrees north latitude and 95.65 degrees east longitude.
There have been no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
In Ho Chi Minh City, residents in high-rise buildings across District 1, Phu Nhuan District, and District 11 said they felt the tremors, with some rushing outside for safety.
In Hanoi, several high-rise buildings in Bac Tu Liem, Hoang Mai, and Ha Dong Districts also experienced strong tremors.
Luong, a resident of a 16th-floor apartment in Hanoi, said his building shook violently around 1:20 pm, causing panic among residents.
« I’ve never felt an earthquake this clearly in my life. The whole 16th floor was swaying. I’m still shaken, » he said.
Meanwhile, Huong Giang, who lives in the Garden An Khanh building in Hoai Duc District, described the experience as terrifying.
« Everything in my apartment started shaking for about five minutes. It was truly frightening, » she said.
According to India’s National Center for Seismology (NCS), tremors were also felt in New Delhi and Bangkok.
The NCS later reported another magnitude-7.0 earthquake at 1:32 pm, located at 21.41 degrees north latitude and 95.43 degrees east longitude, with an epicenter depth of 10 kilometers.
There have been no reports of damage or casualties so far.
According to AFP reporters, the earthquake caused cracks in roads in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw, and brought down ceiling panels in several buildings.
The tremors were also strongly felt in parts of Yunnan Province in China.
Aftershocks were reported across northern Thailand, reaching as far as Bangkok, where residents evacuated shaking buildings.
Several metro and light rail lines in the Thai capital temporarily suspended operations.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra called an ’emergency meeting’ to respond to the earthquake.
By Viet Toan & Le Phan – Tuoi Tre News – March 28, 2025