The earthquake struck close to Myanmar's second largest city, Mandalay, at 06:20 GMT on Friday - around noon in South East Asia. The main shock was recorded as a magnitude 7.7 earthquake by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

In response to Myanmar's request for assistance, Vietnam has offered an emergency aid package worth $300,000 to support earthquake recovery efforts.

The death toll from Myanmar’s powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake keeps climbing amid rescue efforts. The military government said Saturday that 1,644 people have been killed.

Officials are continuing to survey the destruction left in two major Myanmar cities and the Thai capital Bangkok, after a powerful earthquake hit the region Friday.

A unilateral partial ceasefire to facilitate earthquake relief efforts was announced on Saturday by Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government, which coordinates the popular struggle against the ruling military.

Myanmar was hit by a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday, with tremors felt across Thailand and in nearby Chinese provinces. Satellite images reveal the scale of the destruction.

Thousands of people in Myanmar may need urgent shelter, food and medical help, according to the International Rescue Committee's Myanmar director, Mohamed Riyas. He says it could be weeks before the full extent of the earthquake damage is known,