A powerful earthquake has struck Myanmar and Thailand, killing about 150 people and injuring hundreds more, with dozens of people trapped under rubble, international news agencies report.
The number of victims is expected to rise.
At least 144 people have been killed in Myanmar, AP news agency writes, where photos and videos from the two cities hardest hit by the quake show significant destruction.
The head of the country’s military government said in a televised address on Friday night that at least 144 people had been killed and another 730 injured.
Defence Minister Phumtham Vechayachai said at least three people were killed in the building collapse and 90 were missing. He did not provide any details about the rescue efforts.
In Bangkok, an unfinished high-rise building collapsed due to the quake.
The epicentre of the magnitude 7.7 quake was near the city of Mandalay, in central Myanmar. After the main shock, there was a strong aftershock with a magnitude of 6.4.
Earthquakes are quite frequent in Myanmar as the country is located in a seismically active region. The northern and central regions are particularly earthquake-prone, where both moderate and strong earthquakes are periodically recorded.