A powerful earthquake struck the area of Southeast Asia on Friday, leaving authorities fearing that thousands of people have died. The epicenter was near Myanmar’s second-biggest city, Mandalay.
Local media outlets have reported on the earthquake, saying that large skyscraper buildings under construction in Thailand collapsed along with others. This included a mosque in Myanmar. Bodies were seen pulled out of buildings that lined up in the rubble as rescuers were looking for additional survivors.
There are still questions as to the extent of the destruction and death associated with this disaster. The USGS has issued a red alert, saying that authorities may have underestimated the number of deaths that occurred as a result of the earthquake.
More than likely, the disaster is going to spread as high casualties and serious damage have already been seen. The death toll may be between 1000 and 10,000 but some feel that up to 100,000 people may have died.
In Myanmar, over 1000 people have been confirmed and that number is likely to grow considerably.