In Thailand and Myanmar, rescue attempts are ongoing following the powerful earthquake felt in several countries in Southeast Asia.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in central Myanmar, near the city of Mandalay, but the tremor was also felt strongly in Bangkok. The earthquake registered a magnitude of 7.7 – the strongest quake in the world since the earthquake in Turkey and Syria in 2023.

Minutes after the tremor in Myanmar, which occurred around noon in the country, a secondary tremor of magnitude 6.4 was felt.

The exact number of casualties in Myanmar is not yet known, but it is believed to be at least in the hundreds, according to a source in the rescue organizations. Thus far, no tsunami warnings have been issued, although tsunamis are a known side effect of earthquakes.

This afternoon, the Thai defense minister reported that three people were killed in the collapse of a tower, and another 81 are reported missing. Earlier, it was reported that seven people who were in the tower during the earthquake were rescued. Myanmar's state media reported that buildings collapsed in five cities, and two bridges collapsed.

As Thailand is a popular vacation spot for Israelis, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has issued an evacuation warning for the region affected by the quake. Israeli musician and content creator Moshe Kursia, who is traveling in Bangkok, told Kan News: "Every now and then there is a tremor here. There was a very serious shake. The whole hotel shook, water flew out of the pool. There are a lot of people who are anxious, but no one was physically harmed."