Updated 17.51 | Published 07.39
Thousands of people are feared dead after the powerful earthquake in Southeast Asia.
The quake was felt in Thailand, Vietnam and China, among other places.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges Swedes to contact their relatives.
At 13.30 local time, Myanmar was shaken by a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7. The earthquake was also felt in several other countries in the region, including Thailand.
The earthquake was reportedly felt in almost all regions of the country. In the capital Bangkok, several of the city's many high-rise buildings swayed due to the quake. Shops and offices were evacuated and frightened people gathered in the streets. People who were at the city's hotels testify to how swimming pools flooded.
One of the city's skyscrapers has collapsed. According to the rescue service, several people have been found dead and at least 90 people are under the rubble.
Due to the earthquake, the country's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra called an emergency meeting on Friday. After the meeting, she announced that a state of emergency had been declared in the city.
All schools in the country are closed due to the disaster.
Appeal to Swedes
The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs is urging Swedes on the scene to contact their relatives and stay updated on developments. There is currently no information that Swedes have been injured or killed, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Geological institutes in both the US and Germany state that the earthquake occurred at a depth of just over 10 kilometers. Tremors were also felt in Vietnam and China, among others. The US geological agency USGS fears that the earthquake will lead to thousands of deaths. In Myanmar, state-controlled media reported that many buildings were damaged.
The news service Khit Thit writes that a control tower at Naypyidaw airport collapsed and that several people are said to have died.
During the afternoon, the junta leader announced that at least 144 people had died and 732 were injured, AFP reports. The figures are expected to rise further.
According to Björn Lund, a seismologist at Uppsala University, earthquakes of this magnitude are unusual.
– It only happens two or three times a year, he tells Aftonbladet.
The earthquake's epicenter was near the large cities of Mandalay and Taunggyi. It is unusual for earthquakes to occur so close to large cities and Björn Lund warns that the earthquake will have major consequences.
– It has occurred extremely close to these cities. This means that there is a high risk of damage. Unfortunately, I believe that we will see major damage and fatalities, he says.
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