A major 7.7 magnitude earthquake that originated near Mandalay, Myanmar shook the Earth as far as Bangkok. Two hard-hit cities in Myanmar suffered extensive damage.

The earthquake shook buildings in neighboring Thailand and China, and rattled bridges and homes as far away as Vietnam. At least 23 people have died, and the death toll is expected to rise, especially in Myanmar, where the injured are arriving at hospitals in the country’s second-largest city, Mandalay.

LIVE: The US Geological Survey, an American government science agency, estimated that the death toll could top 1,000. The full extent of death, injury and destruction is not known yet — particularly in Myanmar,

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar, causing buildings to collapse and a high number of casualties in the region.

Bangkok ground to a halt on Friday after a strong earthquake shook the clogged Thai capital, causing chaos and triggering city-wide evacuations that left many thousands of people stranded for much of the day.

A huge 7.7 magnitude earthquake has hit central Myanmar, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). At least 144 people have died and 732 have been injured so far in the country, Myanmar military leader Min Aung Hlaing said.

A rescuer in Mandalay said he was digging through rubble with bare hands after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar.

In Bangkok, a building that had been under construction collapsed, killing at least three people, while dozens of workers remained stuck in the rubble.

Tremors from the earthquake in central Myanmar travelled as far as Bangkok in neighbouring Thailand. In the Thai capital, rescuers are searching the rubble after a large building collapsed.