8 dead in skyscraper collapse in Bangkok (2025)

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Key Headlines Death toll crosses 2,000 8 dead in skyscraper collapse in Bangkok 144 dead, more than 700 injured in Myanmar Pope sends condolences Journalist in Bangkok describes shaking hotel Related Topics Sponsored Content by Taboola References

The 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled much of Southeast Asia on Friday.

ByMark Osborne, Jon Haworth, Meredith Deliso, David Brennan, Ivan Pereira, Kevin Shalvey, and Megan Forrester

Last Updated: March 31, 2025, 3:38 PM EDT

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled much of Southeast Asia on Friday, resulting in mounting casualties and flattened skyscrapers from Myanmar to Thailand.

The epicenter was in Mandalay, Myanmar, the country's second-largest city. Even Bangkok, some 600 miles away, felt widespread shaking and saw significant damage from the quake -- including the total collapse of a skyscraper under construction.

8 dead in skyscraper collapse in Bangkok (1)

Key Headlines

Mar 31, 2025, 3:38 PM EDT
IRC teams report unprecedented destruction
Mar 31, 2025, 1:22 PM EDT
International teams fill the void in US absence
Mar 31, 2025, 12:56 PM EDT
US Embassy in Myanmar announces $2 million to address humanitarian needs
Mar 31, 2025, 12:13 PM EDT
Myanmar death toll climbs to 2,056

Here's how the news is developing.

Mar 31, 12:28 pm

Death toll crosses 2,000

8 dead in skyscraper collapse in Bangkok (2)

Casualties are expected to rise as search and rescue efforts are underway in collapsed buildings in Myanmar and Thailand, officials said.

In Myanmar, the death toll has climbed to 2,056, with more than 3,900 people injured and 270 people reported missing, according to the Myanmar Military Junta.

In Bangkok, at least 13 people were killed in a building collapse in Chatuchak, according to the Bangkok Metro Authority.

8 dead in skyscraper collapse in Bangkok

At least eight people were killed and nine injured when a skyscraper that was under construction collapsed in Bangkok, according to the Royal Thai Police.

A search and rescue effort is continuing into the night for those who remain trapped, with more than 100 people still missing, police said

Officials said earlier there were approximately 320 construction workers on site when the building in Bangkok collapsed.

8 dead in skyscraper collapse in Bangkok (3)

144 dead, more than 700 injured in Myanmar

At least 144 people have died in Myanmar, according to the first official death toll released by the military government.

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who has led Myanmar since 2021, said 96 people have died in the Naypyidaw Council Territory, 18 in Sagaing and 30 in Kyaukse. There have also been at least 732 injuries in the country.

8 dead in skyscraper collapse in Bangkok (5)

"Casualties are expected to rise," he said. "Buildings have collapsed in several areas, and rescue operations are underway. I have personally visited some affected sites to assess the situation. I would like to call upon everyone to join hands and support the ongoing rescue missions.

He said a state of emergency has been declared and he has requested international assistance, a rarity for the turbulent country.

Mar 28, 2025, 10:25 AM EDT

Pope sends condolences

Pope Francis, recently released from the hospital following a battle with bilateral pneumonia, sent his condolences to those killed and injured in the earthquake.

8 dead in skyscraper collapse in Bangkok (6)

"Deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread devastation caused by the earthquake in Southeast Asia, especially in Myanmar and Thailand, his Holiness Pope Francis offers heartfelt prayers for the souls of the deceased and the assurance of his spiritual closeness to all affected by this tragedy," Cardinal Pietro Parolin said in a telegram.

"His holiness likewise prays that the emergency personnel will be sustained in their care of the injured and displaced by the divine gifts of fortitude and perseverance," it concluded.

8 dead in skyscraper collapse in Bangkok (7)

-ABC News' Phoebe Natanson

Mar 28, 2025, 10:09 AM EDT

Journalist in Bangkok describes shaking hotel

Marisa Abel, a journalist based in New York, who is vacationing in Bangkok, told ABC News she just got to her hotel, and was napping, when the 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit.

"I woke up, everything was moving. So I woke up my partner and said, 'Hey, it's an earthquake.'"

She said the motion of the earthquake was like being on a boat, and said she had to walk down 15 flights of stairs to the street below to get to safety. Hotel guests were directed to a park nearby, she said.

"I didn't panic, but I was terrified," Abel said. "The people in the hotel was really, really helpful. So they're making us like to feel safe. ... This area I was in, nobody was panicking, but, like, people was really concerned."

-ABC News' George Suarez and Othon Leyva